ZHANGJIAKOU, China – Hungarian speed skater Shaolin Sandor Liu appeared to win gold in the 1000m short track race, an outcome that would have given his country its first individual Winter Olympics gold and Liu a substantial bonus.
But after a review, Liu watched as the referee assessed two penalties that gave him a yellow card and China’s Ren Ziwei the win. It wasn’t just the difference of a medal. For Liu, it was the difference of more than $160,000.
Hungary’s national Olympic committee is one of many that awards bonuses for medals at the Games. Athletes who win gold in the Beijing Olympics receive 50,000,000 Hungarian Forint, or roughly $161,000.
Moments of Olympic glory aren’t just paybacks for years of hard work. In many countries, they are a payday.
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USA TODAY surveyed nearly 60 national Olympic committees and received responses from 20.
Italian curlers Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner captured attention for their unbeaten run to gold in mixed doubles curling. But each of the young athletes also will receive more than $205,000 for their success.
Polish ski jumper Dawid Kubacki claimed bronze in the men’s normal hill individual, earning him a bonus of $12,500. But the finish also guarantees him a monthly payment of $850 once he turns 35.
Slovakian skier Petra Vlhova earned more than $57,000 to go with her gold in slalom.
How medal bonuses are funded varies from country to country but are most often paid by the national Olympic committee or the government. In many countries, athletes can also expect bonuses from the national governing body for their sport as well as from sponsors.
Generally, countries with bigger delegations offer less in bonuses. And countries with smaller delegations that are less likely to medal offer more.
The United States has 11 medals, including five gold, through Saturday’s competition. But because the country won medals in team events – including figure skating and new mixed team competitions in aerials and snowboardcross – each athlete would get the Operation Gold bonus. That leaves the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee on the hook for $607,500 so far.
After winning individual and mixed team gold in snowboardcross, Lindsey Jacobellis is due to get $75,000 herself.
Some countries have unique structures. In Australia, the sums are not bonuses for past work but incentives to continue training for the next Olympics. In Hong Kong, the national Olympic committee offers small sums for medals. But its three athletes could earn more than $641,000 from the Henderson Land Commendation Scheme for a gold medal.
Some countries offer no bonuses. Of the national Olympic committees that responded to USA TODAY’s survey, three said they offered no money for medals – Brazil, Great Britain and Norway.
With only 10 Brazilian athletes in these Games, the South American country is merely trying to be competitive.
Norway, meanwhile, is a winter sports powerhouse that already has 17 medals and is projected to lead the medal standings.
As for Liu, the Hungarian speed skater who lost out on gold, it wasn’t a total loss. His brother, Shaoang Liu won the bronze medal. With that comes a nearly $92,000 bonus, and a monthly stipend for life once he turns 35.
“It was an emotional rollercoaster. In this last hour, everyone went mental,” Shaoang Liu said. “It was an exciting race. We all wanted to bite that gold.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How much do Winter Olympics athletes get paid for medals in Beijing?