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≡ INTEL REPORT ≡
Asian nations paid handsomely for their Olympic gold-medal winners according to media reports following the Paris 2024 Games, especially for Philippine gymnast Carlos Yulo.
Yulo, 24, stands 4-11 and won the Paris men’s Floor Exercise and Vault, his first Olympic medals; he previously won those events in prior FIG World Championships in 2019 and 2021, respectively.
But he didn’t get the same attention then as he is now.
On his return, he was saluted and the Philippine star reported that he is receiving:
● 20 million PHP (Philippine pesos) prize money under law
● 20 million PHP from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
● 14 million PHP from the Philippine House of Representatives
● 16 million PHP from various individual donots
● An undisclosed sum from iconic boxer Manny Pacquiao
● 2 homes and a condominium from developers
● 150,000 flight miles per year for life from Philippine Airlines
● 28 free flights for a year from Cebu Pacific Airlines
● Lifetime free pizza from Pizza Hut
● Lifetime free ice cream from Dairy Queen
● Lifetime free buffets from Vikings Philippines
And there are many more items. It’s over $2 million in all; no word on any tax breaks, however.
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Pakistan was just as thrilled with the men’s javelin win by Arshad Nadeem, who was showered with rewards totaling about $897,000 in U.S. dollars for the country’s first-ever individual Olympic gold medal.
He reportedly received $538,000 from the Pakistani government and $359,000 from Punjab Province. He is also to receive a gold crown, have a sports stadium named for him, a sports academy named for him and is to receive the nation’s highest civil award.
He also received a car with a special license plate – “PAK 92.97″ – commemorating his Olympic-record throw of 92.97 m (305-0).
● Hong Kong paid HK $6 million (about $969,755 U.S.) to its gold-medal winners Ka-Leon Cheung and Vivian Mai Wan Kong, both in fencing.
● Taiwan paid NT $20 million (about $621,282 U.S.) each to its three gold medalists: boxer Yu-ting Lin and badminton Doubles winners Yang Lee and Chi-lin Wang.
● Thailand’s taekwondo gold medalist Panipak Wongpattanakit can choose from a lump sum of $281,972 (U.S.), or $338,367 over four years for her win, from the Thai National Olympic Committee.
● Iran paid its three gold winners 18 billion tomans or about $428,767, to wrestlers Saeid Esmaeili and Mohammad Hadi Saravi, and taekwondo winner Arian Salimi.
France’s swimming star Leon Marchand will get €320,000 for his four golds, or about $353,000 U.S.
As far as the U.S. goes, SwimSwam.com compiled the top earners in swimming, who are also the top earners for the entire U.S. team, from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s Operation Gold fund and an enhanced payout from USA Swimming. Three scored more than $200,000:
● $261,875 for Torri Huske (3 gold, 3 silver)
● $250,714 for Katie Ledecky (2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
● $225,625 for Regan Smith (2 gold, three silver)
On the track, 400 m hurdles stars Rai Benjamin and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone each won their event and ran on the winning 4×400 m relay for $75,000 in USOPC Operation Gold money plus $50,000 from World Athletics for their individual wins and another $12,500 for the relay, for $137,500 total. That does not, of course, account for sponsorship bonuses.
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