Vinter-OL 2026
American Athletes Receive Significant Financial Bonuses for Olympic Participation, a Reality Far Removed for Norwegian Stars.
- Watch all the action from the Olympics on NRK and HBO Max
MILANO (headlinez.news) – “It’s incredibly nice for them,” said speed skating star Sander Eitrem. “I’m a little jealous that they’re getting so much money just for participating in the Olympics.”
Prior to the Games in Italy, American investor and billionaire Ross Steven injected over $100 million into the United States Olympic Committee.
The funds are earmarked for athletes across the nation. Every American competing in the Olympics or Paralympics is set to receive up to $200,000 (approximately $1.9 million Norwegian kroner).
The arrangement is unprecedented, highly unusual, and has drawn attention from competitors.
Eitrem competed on Thursday against American phenomenon Jordan Stolz, who is one of the athletes likely to benefit from the substantial financial gift.
– That’s just how it is. I skate because I genuinely love it and it’s the only thing I want to do. If I were doing a sport for the money, I’d have to start something else,” Eitrem emphasized.
The Olympic funds for the USA cannot be accessed immediately. The arrangement is viewed as a life and pension benefit for each Olympiad an athlete participates in. They first receive $100,000 (956,000 Norwegian kroner) when they turn 45 or 20 years after Olympic participation, and $100,000 in insurance/survivor benefits to family after their death.
And it doesn’t stop there.
Americans also have the opportunity to earn Olympic cash now, with a hefty medal bonus, funded by their respective national Olympic committees and state sports funds.
Norway is not among them. Eitrem took gold in the 5000m earlier in the championship. Stolz has two Olympic golds, and a silver from Thursday’s 1500m.
Only one of them will receive a bonus.
The United States offers $37,500 (358,000 Norwegian kroner) for gold, even as silver and bronze are worth $22,500 and $15,000 respectively. Singapore offers the largest medal payout, with $788,900 for gold. Poland is the highest-paying European nation at $211,000, while host nation Italy offers $209,000, according to USA Today.
– Should Norway have a medal bonus?
– Yes, of course. It should have been. This is a full-time job we’re doing. We position in the work in training, but even more importantly, it’s what happens outside of training. Everything you do and consider about is making sure things are good for the next session. It would definitely be nice to have a proper large bonus after good results,” Eitrem responded.
– Is this something you have expressed a desire for to Olympiatoppen?
– I haven’t gotten very involved in that. But with the results I’m bringing home now, I could certainly have gotten more involved. I think it’s just the way it is, and I just have to accept it.
Norway is on track to have its best Olympics ever in terms of medals. See the overview below:
Eitrem is responsible for one of the 16 gold medals Norway has won so far at the Olympics in Italy.
Norway and Olympiatoppen have always focused more on systematic support for as many athletes as possible rather than giving large cash prizes for medals, in the form of stipends, among other things.
Several Norwegian winter athletes live comfortably off sponsorship money and prize schemes, while many struggle financially – such as the speed skaters.
A medal bonus could have made a big difference for athletes like Eitrem and Ragne Wiklund, who have two medals so far in the championship (silver and bronze).
Dagbladet has sought comment from top sports director Tore Øvrebø regarding the matter.
– Criticism has been leveled at the lack of medal bonuses in the past. Before the Paris Olympics in 2024, former wrestler Fritz Aanes strongly criticized the fact that Norwegian athletes do not receive money for winning Olympic medals, as he stated to Nettavisen.
– All those who win a medal in the Olympics and Paralympics receive an A-stipend from Olympiatoppen, if they continue their career. The maximum payout is 160,000 plus access to services from Olympiatoppen. Many sports have their own scholarship schemes in addition to or in combination with this,” Øvrebø told the newspaper.
