U.S. Olympic Committee significantly increases payments to athletes for Olympic/Paralympic, World Medals

U.S. Olympic Committee significantly increases payments to athletes for Olympic/Paralympic, World Medals

By Brandon Penny
Team USA

Team USA athletes will see their hard work and accomplishments recognized more than ever starting in 2017.

As part of a continued effort to direct more resources to athletes, the United States Olympic Committee announced today that Operation Gold payments to U.S. athletes will increase significantly for the 2017-20 quadrennium.

Operation Gold provides monetary rewards to athletes who earn medals at Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as world championships.

On the heels of Team USA’s success in Rio, where it earned 121 Olympic medals – its highest at a non-boycotted Games – and 115 Paralympic medals – the most since 1996, the Operation Gold payments starting with the PyeongChang 2018 Games will increase by 50 percent.

Earnings for world championship medals in non-Games years will increase by 25 percent.

Athletes will receive $37,500 for each gold medal earned at the Olympic Games, $22,500 for silver and $15,000 for bronze, and $7,500 for gold, $5,250 for silver and $3,750 for bronze medals earned at the Paralympic Games.