A breakdown of how much competitors at this year's Winter Olympics will pocket if they win gold has emerged, with only three countries not providing direct monetary incentives to their athletes.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not provide monetary rewards to Olympic medalists, but many countries reward their athletes for recording a podium finish.
Singapore and their national committee, for example, pay out £580,000 ($787,000) to those who win gold, which is the most of any country.
Alpine skier Faiz Bash is Singapore's only representative in Milan-Cortina and they've appeared at just one previous Winter Games in 2018, when short-track speedskater Cheyenne Goh finished 28th in the women’s 1,500 meters.
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As mentioned by Forbes, Singapore’s Max Maeder won bronze in men’s kitesurfing and earned nearly $200,000 (£146,837) at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
A host of countries offer their athletes a six-figure sum if they win gold, including Hong Kong, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Estonia, Czechia and Spain.
Team GB, however, do not offer athletes prize money based on their performance alone.
Instead, they are awarded an annual stipend of £27,800, which covers training expenses, and, as mentioned by Bet365, some athletes can substantially boost their income with sponsorship deals.
British sprinter Dina Asher–Smith, who picked up Olympic medals in Rio, Tokyo and Paris, can earn anything between £1 million and £10 million annually from endorsement deals, according to Claire Bowden-Hughes.
Meanwhile, a gesture from billionaire Ross Stevens means American athletes are the first ever to receive a retirement fund.
A report from The Wall Street Journal has claimed the financier is paying out $100,000 towards their retirement, regardless of their results, as well as an additional $100,000 to be paid out to loved ones after the athlete passes away.
Medal bonuses for 2026 Winter Olympics, as per USA Today
- Singapore - $787,000 (£577,000)
- Hong Kong - $768,000 (£563,000)
- Italy - $213,000 (£156,300)
- Poland - $211,000 (£154,900)
- Slovenia - $162,000 (£118,000)
- Estonia - $118,000 (£86,900)
- Czechia - $117,000 (86,100)
- Spain - $111,000 (£81,000)
- France - $94,000 (£69,000)
- Slovakia - $71,000 (£52,000)
- Brazil - $67,000 (£49,000)
- Switzerland - $64,000 (£47,000)
- Belgium - $59,000 (£43,300)
- Finland - $59,000 (£43,300)
- United States - $37,500 (£27,500)
- Germany - $35,000 (£25,000)
- Netherlands - $35,000 (£25,000)
- Austria - $23,700 (£17,400)
- Canada - $18,300 (£13,400)
- Denmark - $16,000 (£11,700)
- Australia - $14,100 (£10,300)
- New Zealand - $3,000 (£2,200)
- Sweden - $0
- Team GB - $0
- Norway - $0
Topics: Olympics, Team GB, United States, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Spain, France, Italy
Jack Kenmare