Rio 2016: How much money do athletes get if they win a gold medal at the Olympics?
Andy Murray will receive no financial reward for his gold medal but athletes from other nations can get up to £580,000
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Your support makes all the difference.Some athletes compete at the Olympic Games for pride and glory; others are also chasing massive medal-winning cash bonuses.
Certain nations give their athletes huge cash rewards if they successfully in the Olympics but others, including Great Britain, don’t give their athletes anything.
This graphic from Statista shows estimates of the cash bonuses, excluding sponsorship deals and endorsements, that nations dish out to their successful Olympians.
Joseph Schooling became the first Singaporean to win a gold medal after his triumph in the men’s 100-metre butterfly and received an estimated bonus of £580,000 for his victory. Andy Murray on the other hand received nothing for his retaining his title in the men’s tennis.
Former Olympic swimmer Geoff Huegill believes cash incentives do not actually work.
“A cash bonus for a medal is great and always appreciated by athletes but it’s not the sole focus, rather a nice way to be acknowledged for the efforts you have put into your chosen discipline,” Huegill told Fox News.
Incentives can occasionally go beyond cash. South Koreans get military exemptions and Germans receive a free lifetime supply of beer if they do well.
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