Around the Olympic Games in Paris, German athletes criticized the existing bonuses in this country. There is now good news for Bavarian athletes. “Just set an example,” says Bavaria’s interior and sports minister.
Bavaria has announced a doubling of bonuses for its Olympic medalists. “We have now decided that. “We just want to set an example,” said Bavaria’s Interior and Sports Minister Joachim Herrmann to “Bild”.
Herrmann had already promised to double the bonuses at the Bavarian Sports Awards ceremony on Saturday. The payments also apply retroactively to the 2024 Olympic Games and Paralympics, which were held in Paris this summer.
The very different premiums around the world are a constant topic surrounding the Olympic Games. The German Sports Aid Foundation rewards gold medal winners with a bonus of 20,000 euros. There is 15,000 euros for silver and 10,000 euros for bronze – divided into twelve monthly installments. As a result of the advance from Bavaria, the Bavarian gold medalists Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (dressage riding), Taliso Engel, Josia Topf (both para-swimming) and Oliver Zeidler (rowing) are now particularly benefiting from the regulation.
In some countries, an athlete can become rich through an Olympic victory, and in some cases bonuses such as real estate or top-ups in their pension are added – in other countries, such as Germany, this is far from the case. Many German athletes also criticized this during the Paris Games. Swimming world champion Angelina Köhler, who finished fourth in the 100 meter butterfly, said with reference to a TV show: “I think it can’t be the case that people win 50,000 euros at the ‘Summer House of the Stars’ and athletes who… Win a gold medal at the Olympic Games, only 20,000 euros.”
Prospects for 2028 and a special path
At the end of August, the drugstore chain Rossmann caused a stir and announced that, in addition to the bonuses from Deutsche Sporthilfe, it would pay out money for gold, silver and bronze to German athletes – at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
Based on the distributions from Deutsche Sporthilfe, there should be 20,000 euros for first place in four years, 15,000 euros for second place and 10,000 euros for third place. “Sport is a cultural asset, connects people across national borders and promotes healthy competition,” it said in a statement.
There was a novelty in Paris when it came to bonuses: the World Athletics Federation added $50,000, or around 46,000 euros, to each gold medal. For the first time in the history of the Games, a professional association also distributed cash bonuses to its Olympic champions. Athletes are enthusiastic – other associations and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) criticized it.
Olympia 2024: The gold awards of other nations
- Israel: 254,000 Euros
- Serbia: 201,000 euros
- Italy: 178,540 euros
- Spain: 93,240 euros
- France: 79,352 euros
- USA: 35,500 Euro
- Canada: 13,485 euros
- Australia: 12,000 euros
mel/dpa
