Incentives for Olympic medalists by country explained

This article details standard incentives given to Olympic athletes for winning a medal either by their National Olympic Committee, the government of their country/territory, or both.

While the International Olympic Committee itself does not provide monetary rewards to Olympic medalists, many countries provide prize money to athletes for winning a medal at the Olympics.[1] [2] In countries such as Singapore and India elite sport enjoys heavy government involvement, and athletes are given high monetary rewards for winning Olympic medals as a means to promote a positive image of those nations on the international stage.[3]

According to Forbes, only Great Britain, Norway and Sweden do not provide direct monetary incentives to their athletes for winning an Olympic medal (as of the 2020 Summer Olympics), although indirect funding is extensive.[4]

Incentive list (USD equivalent in 2021)

width=120IOC memberGoldSilverBronzeNote
Australia$20,000$18,000$10,000
$21,986$15,3902021: As a reward for their achievements, the gold medal winners receive Philharmonic coins worth €17,000. Silver medalists received €13,000, bronze medalists received €11,000 each.2024: As a reward for their achievements, the gold medal winners receive Philharmonic coins worth €20,000. Bronze medalists received €14,000 each.[5] [6]
Azerbaijan$235,000$117,500$58,750AZN 400,000, AZN 200,000 and AZN 100,000, for gold, silver and bronze, respectively, as of the 2016 Rio Olympics.[7]
Belgium$54,606$32,764$21,843€50,000, €30,000, €20,000, for gold, silver and bronze, respectively, as of the 2024 Paris Olympics.[8]
Brazil$49,000$29,000$20,000
Bulgaria$139,719$111,775$83,881250 000 Bulgarian Lev for gold, 200 000 Bulgarian Lev for silver, and 150 000 Bulgarian Lev for bronze.
Canada$14,572$10,929$7,286In 2024 $5000 "top-up" was donated for every medal won.[9]
Costa Rica$16,000$12,000$8,000
Czech Republic$100,000$80,000$50,000
Denmark$15,962$11,971$7,981
Ecuador

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Money for medals: Olympic glory can also be very lucrative for athletes from these countries . 4 August 2021 . August 4, 2021 . USA Today.
  2. Web site: August 12, 2021 . Cashing in on gold . South China Morning Post.
  3. News: Choudhury . Saheli Roy . Here's how much Olympic athletes earn for winning medals . 3 August 2021 . CNBC . 29 July 2021 . en.
  4. News: Knight . Brett . These 10 Countries Offer Six-Figure Payouts To Their Olympic Medalists . 3 August 2021 . Forbes . 31 July 2021 . en.
  5. News: 2021-08-10 . Sieben Medaillen Tokio-Medaillengewinner von Bundespräsident geehrt . 2023-12-10 . www.kleinezeitung.at . de.
  6. Web site: Comité . Österreichisches Olympisches . Glänzende Feier mit Philharmoniker-Prämie . 2024-08-13 . Österreichisches Olympisches Comité . de.
  7. Web site: General . Ryan . 2016-08-10 . Here's How Much Money Olympic Gold Medalists Win in Each Country . 2021-08-08 . NextShark . en-US.
  8. Web site: Primes: Jeux Olympiques Paris 2024 . 2024-07-30 . Team Belgium - Official Olympic Team Website . fr-FR.
  9. Web site: Canada caps Olympic Games with record medal haul - National Globalnews.ca . 2024-08-13 . Global News . en-US.