While the International Olympic Committee will not offer any prize money to the winner at Paris 2024, many countries and regions are offering financial incentives to help their athletes bring home gold, silver or bronze medals.
Most of the time, the rewards are financial, but they can be anything from exemption from military service to cars, cows, apartments, and even free food deliveries.
Here, AFP Sport takes a look at some of what’s on offer for gold, silver and bronze medals around the world.
South Korea
Winning an Olympic medal, of any color, exempts athletes from the 18 months of military service that all able-bodied males must serve by the age of 28.
The same goes for gold medals at the Asian Games, with football star Son Heung-min famously winning gold in Jakarta in 2018 by avoiding competing in combat uniform.
The six Japanese archers who won four of the five gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics were gifted cars by team sponsor Hyundai.
Poland
Individual gold medalists receive a prize of 250,000 zloty ($63,000), a two-room apartment, diamonds, a painting and a vacation voucher.
Silver and bronze medal winners will also receive cash and other prizes.
Indonesia
Apriyani Rahayu and Greysia Polii, who won gold in the women’s doubles badminton event at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, were reportedly promised a range of rewards, from a new home from a property developer to a meatball restaurant from a social media mogul.
According to state news agency Antara, Apriyani was promised five cows, a plot of land and a house by the district head of her hometown on South East Sulawesi island.
Another report said state-owned company PT Pegadaiyan had promised to donate three kilograms of gold to the couple.
Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno said people will be able to enjoy free holidays in the country’s five major tourist destinations.
Jordan
When Ahmad Abu Ghaush won the country’s first gold medal (in the men’s 68 kg taekwondo) at the Rio Olympics, the National Olympic Committee awarded him 100,000 dinars ($140,000) and his coach about half that amount.
Abu Ghaush also received many prizes and gifts, including a car and luxury watches, from local businesses and was awarded the First Class Distinguished Service Order by King Abdullah II.
Philippines
Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz was presented with two properties and promoted to staff sergeant in the Philippine Army after winning the country’s first gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino told AFP that in the past, medallists have been given homes and land at their own expense.
Iraq
Officials said Iraqi footballers were each given more than 9 million dinars ($7,200) and a plot of land as qualification for the Olympics.
Weightlifter Ali Amar Yaser was given a car and land after qualifying for the Olympics and has been promised a $1 million reward if he wins a bronze medal or better.
Malaysia
Malaysia’s first Olympic gold medal-winning athlete in Paris won’t go hungry as delivery and transportation company Grab has promised a year’s worth of free food orders.
They will be given luxury apartments from property developer Top Residency as well as Chery SUVs, the government said.
India
When Neeraj Chopra won the javelin gold medal in Tokyo, he was promised unlimited free air travel for a year by IndiGo and a new seven-seater SUV by a businessman.
Singapore
After athlete Joseph Schooling made history at the 2016 Rio Olympics by beating the great Michael Phelps to win gold in the 100m butterfly, the ride-hailing service Grab provided free transportation for a year to him and his family, along with a blind masseuse and a para-swimmer.
Singapore Airlines will donate one million airline miles and the government will award 1 million Singapore dollars ($750,000) for each gold medal.
Hong Kong
The Hong Kong government has awarded lifetime passes on Hong Kong’s MTR subway to fencers Vivian Kong and Cheung Ka-long, who won gold medals in Paris, and has promised the same to all other medallists.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club will also award HK$6 million (US$770,000) to individual gold medallists.
Gym chain Pure is offering lifetime memberships to all 35 Hong Kong athletes competing in Paris, while Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways said it would offer a year of free business class travel to all medal winners.
