While the International Olympic Committee does not give prize money to winners at Paris 2024, many nations and territories offer incentives to their athletes to come home with gold, silver or bronze. Many are financial, but the rewards can be more eclectic – anything from exemption from compulsory military service to cars, cows, apartments and even free food deliveries. Here, are some of what is on offer for gold, silver and bronze around the globe: South Korea An Olympic medal, of any colour, grants athletes exemption from 18 months of compulsory military service, which all able-bodied males must undertake by the age of 28.
A gold at the Asian Games does the same, which star footballer Son Heung-min famously achieved at Jakarta in 2018 to avoid his spell in combat fatigues. The country’s six archers at the Tokyo Games, who claimed four out of five golds, were all given cars by Hyundai, who sponsor the team. Poland Gold medalists in individual events receive a cash prize of 250,000 zlotys ($63,000), a two-room apartment, a diamond, a painting and a holiday voucher.
Silver and bronze medal winners are also generously rewarded with cash and other gifts. Indonesia Apriyani Rahayu and Greysia Polii, who won badminton women’s doubles gold at Tokyo three years ago, were reportedly pledged rewards ranging from new houses from a property developer to meatball restaurants from a social media influencer. Apriyani was also promised five cows, a plot of land and a house by the dist.