Darn you, Cal…I just came in here to comment that this sort of thing was running through my head on reading the thread title.
So…think Hera runs a detective agency that specializes in tracking cheating husbands? Maybe Hestia has a catering company? I’m pretty sure Aphrodite manages a dating service AND a Nevada brothel (that’s two separate businesses).
Several are still full-time students in college, a sort-of full time job. I knew quite a few people who went to the 1992 Barcelona games, most notably the Ezinwa twins who represented Nigeria in track and field. They even won silver medals and were added to the Guiness Book as the world’s fastest twins. Heh, a good friend of mine had the apartment next to them–we heard them blasting “BARCELONA!” theme music on many, many an occasion. They were understandably enthused. Great guys, too.
Dave Johnson (remember the Dan and Dave commercials?) also went to my university, despite being in his 30s at the time. Maybe he did it to maintain some sort of financial assistance/exemption/benefit to help fund his expensive sport? That, and the commercials, of course.
Well, almost none.
By gosh, you’re right. I think that middle girl is Janet Evans.
These second jobs and such consist of doing bascially nothing but punching in and showing up. We like to think of the young, determained hard training athelete beating all odds and such, but in reality the competition is too intense to train and work full time, even at a clerical job.
It’s much the same for college athletes, I knew a ton of these guys who had to “work” their way through school while playing on the football or basketball team. What they do is “punch in and do almost nothing.”
This is the way it is for the Olympics.
I’m sure there are athletes in smaller nations that never win medals that do actually work but I’d wager any amount the winners do little work, they train and that is their job and people give them financial aid for exchanges as simple as talking to companies. Yes, we once had an Olympic kid from a company where I work for, and he told us all how to “play fair and be motovated.” Nice to see a 19 year old teaching 50 year olds motovation, considering he’s done nothing but be pampered to all his life.
Again, it’s a myth that these guys are hard working and training. Yes they work HARD, but they work hard at the sport NOT at a job where they have to worry about paying rent, and credit card bills and insurance.
If you don’t believe me look at any other 23 year old kid and see what they do and ask could they train in the Olympics and work their current job. No.
Ah, if only. All the people I knew were working hard and then fitting in the time to train. It would be great if everyone had it that easy but the vast majority really have to put in a full day of work.
The point is that these aren’t just any other 23 year old kid. That’s why they’re Olympic athletes.
In a communist country, yes. In a capitalist economy, they need to make money. In school on a scholarship is one thing, but many of these athletes are well out of college.
What?
Communist countries basically have huge government subsidized factories just to make athletes to show off how successfull they are at the olympics. That’s what the soviets did in the 80’s and it is what China is doing now. They pick the childeren young and focus them entirely on their sport. The last thing they want is to have their prized athletes working a second job.
I would assume that the socio-economic background of Olympians from developed nations trends high–the early training in so many sports is expensive, and while their are scholarships and such, a tremendously talented upper-middle class kid is going to face fewer challenges developing that talent than the same kid from a working-class background. Assuming that’s true, I would think many Olympians receive family support while they are still competing–clearly their family is supportive of their career, as it must have been a priority throughout their adolescence. So I suspect many live at home, or get some sort of family stipend in return for being “My grandson, the Olympian”. I am not suggesting their is anything wrong with that–these kids are certainly not parasites. But it seems reasonable that competing on that level requires some sort of financial and emotional support network.
And of course, this is one of those things where the better you are, the more people are going to want to be a part of what you do and the more willing they will be to help you.
A teacher at my high school was on the 2004 US Olympic hammer throw team. I think she taught English.
And note that this is going to vary according to which country you’re talking about. Here in Troll Country, for instance, most of the athletes that get sent to the Winter Olympics in the major skiing disciplines at least will be making enough from prize money, sponsorships, and endorsements to survive without day jobs. The very best will be doing quite well indeed. Probably not true in too many other countries.
Yes, but many of these “sports soldiers” don’t have the same duties assigned to them as other soldiers do. In many cases, they are assigned to train full time. It’s more of government subsidy for top-class athletes than actual service in the forces.
Actually, this was a very popular loophole in the old days (prior to 1981), when professionals were not allowed to compete in the Olympics and athletes who gained money with their sports were disqualified.
We do the same in gymnastics. Koroly has a gym where the kids are trained from a very young age.
My cousin nearly qualified for the Athens Olympics in sailing. Missed it by a hair’s breadth. She teaches sailing to disabled people for a living.
Home Depot likes to boast about how many Olympics athletes they employ.
I bet the parents pay a lot of money for their kids to go there. As far as I know, the government does not fund the training of these gymnasts.
I heard the commentators say the other day that the Romanian women’s 8-person sculling team would be guaranteed a minimum of $216,000 each if they won gold :eek:. They didn’t say where the money would come from.
But then I also read that Butch Johnson, one of the top American archers, works at a sporting goods store.
Weird.
The last time I was in China, I had a conversation with my hosts about the Olympic games. She had mentioned that these kids go away and don’t come back (or come back too often). The state subsidizes the education at these camps (this doesn’t sound good considering the history), and they pay the parents as well. The training doesn’t sounds way more intrusive and way more crazy than an American gymnast’s life. This article highlights some difference between Shawn Johnson and her Chinese coach’s life as an athlete.
They said last night that Usain Bolt donated $50,000 :eek: to . . . some charity. I can’t remember what because I was so surprised the kid has 50 big to throw around like that. And the guy that won the decathlon had a pretty nice house in CA. Is track and field big outside of the Olympics? Do people who don’t have friends or family competing go to the meets, and does admission cost a lot?