TOM Article

2021 Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson (Photo courtesy of Larry Slater/LBSphoto.smugmug.com). For most of us reading this article, we can only imagine (or fantasize) what it would be like to be an Olympian and represent our country on the biggest stage our sport has to offer – the Olympic Games.  Similarly, it is likely equally impossible to imagine the effort, dedication, training, and sacrifice that turns Olympic dreams into Olympic realities and ultimately Olympic medals.  That being said, I feel confident in assuming that, for wrestlers, the motivation for chasing Olympic Games glory is anything but financial.  Again, I cannot speak for our Olympic wrestlers, but I believe they strive to be Olympians and Olympic medalists because they want to be the best at their craft. Because these men and women want to represent and honor their country on the biggest stage. Because these athletes want to push themselves to the brink and prove, if only to themselves, what they are capable of accomplishing.  Let’s face it, if money is a motivating factor, these men and women are in the wrong sport.  Having said that, there is some financial gain from being an Olympic medalist. And, this past week, at the 2020 Olympic Games, Team USA’s nine Olympic medalists brought home a combined purse of $1,087,580 in earnings. Here is how.   The Living The Dream Medal Fund awards stipends for gold, silver, and bronze medal finishes at the World Championships and Olympic Games.  World Championships Gold – $50,000 Silver – $25,000 Bronze – $15,000 Olympic Games Gold – $250,000 Silver – $50,000 Bronze – $25,000 In addition to the Living The Dream Fund, according to the India Times, the United States Olympic Committee (USOPC) pays out the following to medalists: $37,500 (Gold Medal), $22,500 (Silver Medal), and $15,000 (Bronze Medal).  So, what do these figures really mean? 2021 Olympics- Tokyo, Japan – Men’s Freestyle – Total Payout  Thomas Gilman, 2020 (Toyko, Japan) 50 kg, 3rd – $40,000 Kyle Dake, 2020 (Tokyo, Japan) 74 kg, 3rd – $40,000 David Taylor, 2020 (Tokyo, Japan) 86 kg, 1st – $287,000  Kyle Snyder, 2020 (Tokyo, Japan) 97 kg, 2nd – $72,500 Gable Steveson, 2020 (Tokyo, Japan), 125 kg, 1st – $287,500 Total Team Payout (Five Medals) – $727,500 2021 Olympics- Tokyo, Japan – Women’s Freestyle Total Payout Sarah Hildebrant, 2020 (Toyko, Japan) 50 kg, 3rd – $40,000                         Jacarra Winchester, 2020 (Tokyo, Japan) 53 kg, Did Not Medal Helen Maroulis, 2020 (Tokyo, Japan) 57 kg, 3rd – $40,000 Kayla Miracle, 2020 (Tokyo, Japan) 62 kg, Did Not Medal Tamyra Mensah-Stock, 2020 (Tokyo, Japan), 68 kg, 1st – $287,500 Adeline Gray, 2020 (Tokyo, Japan), 76 kg, 2nd– $72,500 Total Team Payout (Four Medals) – $360,080 Again, none of the 15 competitors made the trek to Tokyo for the potential payout. These elite American wrestlers did so to represent their country, to compete at the highest level the sport has to offer, to challenge themselves, and hopefully bring home a medal, essentially etching their name(s) in the laurels of USA Wrestling history.  Still, after arguably the most successful Olympic Games in quite some time, Team USA and its nine freestyle medalists had quite a nice payday from the folks at the Living The Dream Fund and the USOPC after their successes on the mat in Tokyo. However, it's worth mentioning that the biggest "paydays" stemming from the Olympic triumphs of these nine Americans are still to come in the weeks, months, and years following the 2020 Games. Additionally, the benefits will be in a myriad of forms, many of which will prove far more meaningful and lucrative than merely the monetary sums listed above.

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