Kazakhstan promises biggest bonuses for medals at Sochi Games
The biggest monetary bonuses for medals at the Sochi Winter Olympic Games will be paid to national athletes by governments of Kazakhstan, Latvia, Italy, Belarus, Estonia and Ukraine.
Kazakhstan's athletes may receive bonuses from their National Olympic Committee for received gold medals - $250,000, for silver medals - $150,000, and for bronze medals - $75,000. Latvia's athletes will receive respectively $192,800, $96,400 and $67,500. Italy's - $189,800, $101,700 and $67,800. Belarus's - $150,000, $75,000 and $50,000. Estonia's - $138,500, $92,300 and $60,600. Ukraine's - $125,000, 80,000 and $55,000. Russian athletes will receive four million roubles /about $113.2 / for gold medals, 2.5 million roubles /$70,800/ for silver, and $1.7 million roubles /$48,000/ for bronze medals. Switzerland's National Olympic will offer bonuses of $88,600, $77,500 and $66,450. French athletes were promised $67,800, $27,100 and $17,600, Dutch - $40,600, $30,500 and $20,300, Finnish - $40,600, $20,300 and $13,500, Japanese - $29,300, $19,600 and $9,800. The Games' American winners will receive $25,000, $15,000 and $10,000. German's - $20,300, $13,500 and $10,150. Canada's National Olympic Committee will thank its athletes with $17,900, $13,400 and $8,900. Australian athletes will receive $13,000, $8.700 and $6.500. No bonuses will be payable to athletes representing the United Kindgom, Norway, Sweden and Croatia. Swedish Olympic Committee spokesman Bjorn Folin says the committee had been spending money allocated for the Olympic Games, including an average of annual 8 million euros /11 million dollars/, for training camps, coaches and monetary allowances to the athletes. Austria's government presents to its Olympic champions 17 silver coins worth $21,600. Silver and bronze medallists receive 13 and 11 coins respectively, Kazinform has learnt from Itar-Tass. South Korea's government has offered an interesting programme to stimulate its athletes. Either they receive $62,000 or $51,670 or $36,170 at a time respectively or agree to receive a life-long "Olympic pension." In case the athletes prefer the second option, they will receive monthly $923, or $692 or $484 respectively. Most South Korean athletes prefer pensions to bonuses.
