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re: How do Olympians afford to live and train?
Posted on 2/14/26 at 5:58 pm to lsubatman1
Posted on 2/14/26 at 5:58 pm to lsubatman1
No you didn't t.
0
Posted on 2/14/26 at 6:29 pm to Jack Ruby
That's the way it should be. BasNIL money through sponsorships.
I don't care if other countries support their athletes. I don't want tax dollars going towards sponsoring people to play sports just because "they represent the country."
If there was a market for Olymsports in this country, they'd be wealthy. But most Americans don't want to spend towards Olympic sports. Look at the NCAA for crying out loud. The Olympic sports lose frick tins of money because no one even pays attention.
I don't care if other countries support their athletes. I don't want tax dollars going towards sponsoring people to play sports just because "they represent the country."
If there was a market for Olymsports in this country, they'd be wealthy. But most Americans don't want to spend towards Olympic sports. Look at the NCAA for crying out loud. The Olympic sports lose frick tins of money because no one even pays attention.
Posted on 2/14/26 at 6:54 pm to GeauxTigers123
Yes and no. The individual sports federations do award money to top tier athletes. USA Swimming, for example, awards enough money to national team members (20-55 athletes) for training, housing, meals, medical services, etc.
Posted on 2/14/26 at 7:06 pm to Jack Ruby
quote:
Why do you think the best Pole Vaulter in the history, born and raised in Louisiana, represents Sweden.
This is false. If he represented the USA he would have to go through Olympic trials. He could clearly be the best in the world (which he is) and have one bad day at the olympic trials and he would not compete in the Olympics.
Thats not the case in Sweden.
Your story was cute, but it's absolutely false. Mondo would make money as a track athlete in the USA.
This post was edited on 2/14/26 at 7:07 pm
Posted on 2/14/26 at 7:13 pm to Hold That Tiger 10
quote:
have one bad day at the olympic trials and he would not compete in the Olympics. Thats not the case in Sweden. Your story was cute, but it's absolutely false. Mondo would make money as a track athlete in the USA.
Exactly. And if I remember right Sweden gave him some guarantees that the USA wouldn’t.
This is arguable and impossible to know, but I think he’d make more as an American just due to him being a good looking guy (no homo) and world record holder, so tons of marketability and a much larger and economically market in the U.S.
Posted on 2/14/26 at 7:19 pm to SDVTiger
quote:
Most have wealthy parents. Especially winter olympics Skiing aint cheap
It is not cheap. The confluence of factors that have to come together in order for someone to become a world class skier in this country is wild.
You need access to the mountains, training, mileage, and a good bit of athletic ability. Like, d1 type athletic ability. Ironically, a lot of ski parents were themselves d1 athletes…and therein lies the problem. They push too hard too fast and the kids burn out. Participation falls off a cliff once high school starts. So that’s the final piece. You have to be kinda psycho to get really good at skiing.
And then there’s our snowboarding kids. Worst thing to happen to them is Colorado legalizing weed. Now instead of getting high occasionally, most of them have turned into full on addicts. (The last one was a joke. Sort of)
Posted on 2/14/26 at 7:26 pm to GeauxTigers123
My cousin was in the Olympics this year for figure skating dance. Her dad is a surgeon and her mom is a dermatologist. That’s how she affords it lol
She’s only 23 and still going to college
She’s only 23 and still going to college
Posted on 2/14/26 at 7:29 pm to baldona
quote:
This is arguable and impossible to know, but I think he’d make more as an American
Agreed. Using Mondo as his selling point was dumb.
The Olympics is the peak of the mountain. When you have a guarantee to compete every 4 year, or risk having a bad day on the worst possible day, or being injured at the wrong time, and it costing you another 4 year wait to get back to the Olympics its a no brainer.
Posted on 2/14/26 at 8:23 pm to El Segundo Guy
quote:
I don't care if other countries support their athletes. I don't want tax dollars going towards sponsoring people to play sports just because "they represent the country."
Bad news for you… D1 non revenue sports are comprised of a ton international kids. We are subsidizing foreign teams essentially.
Posted on 2/14/26 at 8:35 pm to TheOcean
Not a bad view.
Posted on 2/15/26 at 6:17 pm to baldona
quote:
This is arguable and impossible to know, but I think he’d make more as an American just due to him being a good looking guy (no homo) and world record holder, so tons of marketability and a much larger and economically market in the U.S.
Athletics (track and field) is much more popular and gets more tv time in Europe than it does here. It was on tv quite a bit when I was working in France.
I think Mondo makes significantly more being based out of a European country. Most Americans couldn’t even name a single field event athlete.
Posted on 2/15/26 at 8:10 pm to ChEgrad
quote:
Most Americans couldn’t even name a single field event athlete.
The USA has had a lot of popular sprinters through the years. Everyone respects the ability to run fast because it’s so fundamental to sports and games that everyone can appreciate it.
There are certainly many, many people who could have been an Olympian in swimming or alpine skiing or other sports that they were never exposed to. But if you’re born with the ability to be a world class sprinter that talent is going to be recognized somewhere. Even a 4th grade teacher watching her class play kickball at recess can see that Little Johnny is unusually fast.
Posted on 2/15/26 at 9:22 pm to GeauxTigers123
Maybe these broke Olympian should grow up instead of living in fantasy world. Give up the games and move on with life
This post was edited on 2/15/26 at 9:23 pm
Posted on 2/15/26 at 10:46 pm to GeauxTigers123
I have wondered this too. I wouldn't think skating or curling would bring in that much money.
Posted on 2/16/26 at 7:18 am to ChEgrad
quote:
Athletics (track and field) is much more popular and gets more tv time in Europe than it does here. It was on tv quite a bit when I was working in France.
Like I said it’s arguable and that’s fine. Athletics in Europe are much less popular in general than in America. Hell, so is tv in general. In regards to money involved I mean.
I would compare Mondo to someone like Lance Armstrong. A less popular sport that was dominated and therefore became a huge story in the US. What did Lance win in the USA that really meant anything?
A Quick Look online shows mondo making $2-3 mil a year. It would be nothing for him to make that in the USA. One shoe company, Noah Lyles makes $2 mil a year from adidas it looks like.
This post was edited on 2/16/26 at 7:19 am
Posted on 2/16/26 at 9:23 am to GeauxTigers123
I know of one Olympian who won multiple gold medals who sold a lot of pot in order to finance himself. No, I will not name him or what sport he excelled at.
Posted on 2/16/26 at 9:41 am to GeauxTigers123
quote:Remi Bonnet and Salomon renew long-term partnership
But I just don’t think that there’s that big of a sponsorship market for the ski mountaineering crowd.
Posted on 2/16/26 at 9:42 am to lsubatman1
quote:
I once knew a guy that tried to train for the Olympics back in the 90s. Basically had to quit his job and beg for sponsors to give him money to live off of so he could spend all his time working out and training. He was a 6’2 195 lb sprinter and was sure he was going to bring home the gold metal in the 100 yard dash. Sad for him was he didn’t even qualify for the Olympic team and his wife devorced him after all his sponsers fell through and he was jobless. We joke about it with the buds from time to time every summer when the Olympics come on
Posted on 2/17/26 at 9:20 am to Gifman
quote:
A lot of them are from affluent families
Especially the winter sports.
Posted on 2/17/26 at 9:26 am to GeauxTigers123
A ton of Olympians are already on that level in high school. So they are still living with their parents. So their parents, then they choose to go to college or not. I assume now you can make some good NIL cash if you are an Olympian.
That gets you to around 22 if you go to college, 23 if you skip a year for the Olympics. Post college, the ones I knew (like 10 years ago) did small jobs on the side and had 3-4 small sponsors each. You may work 15-20 hours a week, then train 25 hours a week. Have an energy drink sponsor give you $2k a month, a collagen company give you $1k and a company for your sport give you another $2k a month or just free equipment.
That gets you to around 22 if you go to college, 23 if you skip a year for the Olympics. Post college, the ones I knew (like 10 years ago) did small jobs on the side and had 3-4 small sponsors each. You may work 15-20 hours a week, then train 25 hours a week. Have an energy drink sponsor give you $2k a month, a collagen company give you $1k and a company for your sport give you another $2k a month or just free equipment.
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