Obviously Phelps makes millions and a lot of the gymnasts still live with their parents (and probably make boatloads too), but what about the less popular sports? Can you make a living in archery, or playing water polo, or throwing a shotput?
Let’s assume you’re ~top 20 and from an industrialized nation.
A little nitpick. It is called “putting the shot,” not throwing the shotput. AFAIK In the pre-amateur-only days of professional Track & Field, only Brian Oldfield made any real money at that part of the sport. He developed or helped develop the spinning style of putting, setting the unofficial world record several times. Not official because he was a professional when the people in charge (IAAF) allowed only amateurs.He also made money in the pro meets by racing, and beating, female sprinters in exhibition.
I know this doesn’t help, as I’m wondering the same thing, but for US athletes at least, Home Depot seems to have a pretty generous thing set up so that you can work for them and train at the same time.
I cant imagine working a full day and still managing to practice something physically demanding in a job where you are physical. Maybe something like telephone service and training, but hefting lumber and plumbing fittings then swimming for 5-6 hours? wow.
My hat is off to the ones who work a full time job and manage to train!
Actually I am in awe of anybody who can compete at a national/international level in any sport.
Not from the top countries that get medals, but from those that at least make it to compete at the Olympics (even if they don’t win), I know that some (many) of the Puerto Ricans have day jobs (and study!).
In fact, IIRC, I had one semester of PE taught by someone who competed in athletism some (many) years ago (student-teacher).
Many of the Olympic shooters are in the armed forces. I’m sure that counts as a day job.
It depends. Some sports, like water polo, have European leagues that pay.
A lot of the athletes are in college, so they have scholarships.
If you’re a top 20 athlete, the governing body for your sport may offer a stipend, that’s supposed to be enough to live off of. If you’re that good, you also can probably get at least some money from companies that supply your gear.
Here is an excerpt of an article in the Washington Post from 8/12/08 about kayaker Scott Parsons. Some sports are more glamorous and profitable than others:
I was just coming to post that there are professional water polo leagues in Eastern Europe.
I’ve known a half dozen friends who’ve competed in the olympics (Ski Jumping, X-C skiing, Biathlon, Kayaking (she won a silver!), and alpine skiing). All had jobs but all took leaves of absence or part time work as they approached the Olympics or world championships.
Alice Brown worked in the HR office with me as a support clerical. There ain’t a lot of money in olympic sports for most competitors.
Wow, that’s cool (and not cool at the same time.) Do you know what she’s doing now? I always assumed that most of them become coaches or otherwise stay involved in their sport or the olympics, but maybe I’m wrong.
Hell even some players in the Canadian Football League have day jobs. Most of the Olympic athletes are amateurs. You can only get so far on your grants and sponsorships.
It depends on the sport and the person. If the sport is popular and has a profitable professional league association, the athlete will earn their income from participating in that league. (However, if the sport is popular enough to have a profitable professional association, that athlete should not be competing in the amateur Olympics - but that is for Great Debates.) Alternatively, if a nation deems a sport worthy of subsidizing on an amateur level, an elite athlete can earn a living from competing at international events. Lastly, commercial organizations will subsidize elite and popular athletes for their own promotion. So, really, as far as an Olympian’s income goes, it really depends on the sport, the country’s sporting priorities, as well as the athlete’s competitive position on the international stage.
I currently live with an Olympic hopeful. He is a Canadian swimmer who missed this Olympics, but is still young, developing, and training for London. He does not work. Instead he travels during the summer competing at internationally recognized events. Depending on the event and his placement he earns points which translate into money given to him by Sports Canada (I assume, it could very well be another federal organization; regardless, it is the Canadian federal government giving him money). He is lucky in that he attends university right now and therefore does not have to pay for training or coaching. Many Canadian athletes extend their university careers in order to have access to this “free” training and coaching. Just remember, Canadian athletes do not get the sports scholarships that their U.S. counterparts do. My housemate lives frugally, training eleven months of the year, twice a day. Were he not in university it would be quite onerous on him to train at the level he is.
Just to rehash, it really depends on a number of independent variables how an athlete will make a living. The only constant is the tremendous hard work that each of those competitors put in to even be there. Although we all cheer when an athlete places in an event, we all need to remember, when an athlete gets there and finishes 12th but with a personal best time, they’ve done everything they could do - not everybody can be the best in the world, 12th is nothing to scoff at.
I’ve been gone from that office for about 12 years, so I’ve lost touch. Sorry.
“Phelps makes millions.” I presume you’re talking about endorsement money, right? I mean, there aren’t professional swimming jobs anywhere. For the other swimmers who don’t get endorsements, I imagine that what they get from sponsors covers training expenses, but probably doesn’t even cover room and board unless they move to a training facility someplace.
Hm…
I know that lots of people in Cirque du Soleil are ex-Olympiads. I wouldn’t be too surprised if a lot of them work there prior to going off to compete–but I really don’t know. Anyone?
Amy Tryon, a member of the U.S. Equestrian Team in both Athens & Beijing, worked fulltime as a firefighter until 2006. She trains full time now and earns money through teaching, as is common for Equestrian team members.
However, her income by no means covers the cost of competition. She has both corporate and individual sponsors. She is very upfront about what it costs to bring a horse to the Olympics:
http://www.teamtryon.com/TeamTryon2008BudgetEstimate.pdf
Grants from the governing organizations and Olympic Committee cover very little, actually.
I’m sure that that Nastia and Sawn will make boatloads off of sponsors and endorsements at least for a broad definition of boatloads, but the male gymnasts do not at least as of the late 1980’s. OK I’ve been out of the loop and my information is dated. My google foo is not turning up the '88 Men’s team, but the old man on the team (28 at the time) worked as a manager of some fast food joint from my recollection. I actually think he may have been the only repeat from 1984 since Tim Dagget was injured at the trials. Of course the really big ones get to announce big meats like Bart Conner and Tim Dagget. Mitch Gaylord is advertising excersize equipment and was a regular on Hollywood squares I think.
Nevertheless, at leat for Men’s gymnastics, I think the majority of the team will have second jobs. Some of those jobs may be teaching gymnastcs at the club which makes working/working out very easy to schedule. Many of them may have working spouses, or perhapse they are in school. When I was in school, I only worked out three hours a day, but I could easily have seen working out six hours a day on top of studying as long as it was three in the morning and three in the afternoon. Gymnastics would be your social life. It can be a strangely satisfactory life in that you never have any question about what to do, because you always have to be doing something. If your not doing something, you go to the gym.
Also, you don’t spend a lot of money, because you don’t do anything that costs money. You don’t need anything except the gym. At that level, your gym membership is free, because any gym would be an idiot to not want a potential olympian in their gym. If you are in school, you are on scholarship and your basic equipment was paid for. I was not on scholarship, so I bought all my own grips, tape … etc. then again, nobody was under any illusion that I was even remotely an olympic gymnast. I just loved doing it and didn’t care so much about how good I was. Nevertheless, people I was going out to school with were amazed at how little money I spent. I worked out, I went to class, I studied and I slept.
Of course now days professional athletes are allowed in the olympics. I remember when they reversed that rule Kurt Thomas all of the sudden started working out in my gym in a desparate attempt to make the '88 olympics. Unfortunately, age had gotten to him by that time I think. He was an unfortunate victim of the 1980 boycott and went professional before '84.* I know that a lot of sports can make some money at various competitions. Maybe that is true for gymnastics now, but it wasn’t when I was a gymnast.
Most of them slack off all day drinking nectar and eating anbrosia, but I understand Hephaestus runs a forge, and Hermes has a delivery service.