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What do you mean by "going to the athletes"? Isn't the Olympics reserved for amateurs (as in unpaid) athletes only? Are the athletes receiving any money at th

What do you mean by "going to the athletes"? Isn't the Olympics reserved for amateurs (as in unpaid) athletes only? Are the athletes receiving any money at the Olympics?

J_Darnley 10y ago
Paying for travel to the games, maybe. Amateurs, except for the tennis players, the football players, and the bicycle riders. All of which are the big name stars who get paid to compete in other dedicated tournaments. I'm sure there are others too but those are the most promoted sports. I don't think the ones above get paid for the Olympics though.
- ptaipale 10y ago
  There are lots of professionals in other Olympic sports. Track and field, volleyball, swimmers, basketball, sailing, handball, etc. Usain Bolt is definitely a professional athlete (a sprinter) and so is Marina Alabau (a sailor) or Zhang Jike (a table tennis player). Regarding compensation, it depends on the country, but I think many will get a bonus payment for medals or good performance. But anyway, the real money lies in advertising deals that athletes can get once they become big names (except for countries that have other types of compensation systems, e.g. North Korea).
  - J_Darnley 10y ago
    > There are lots of professionals in other Olympic sports. So then there is absolutely no point in watching. Well, not until they start the doping league. (Should we debate whether the current one is?)
    - ptaipale 10y ago
      Why so? The Olympic Games is the main event for professional track and field athletes, for instance, and if you're interested in professional sports - or any sports of absolutely leading edge competition, even when semi-amateur - then Olympics is the big event.
      - J_Darnley 10y ago
        Oh many reasons. It is the most colossal waste of money. It is a horrible IP abuser. Almost everything surrounding it is massively corrupt. Some sports don't deserve to be in because they are not about (or less about) individual athletic performance. Even if you like the competition those seem like strong reasons not to watch. I personally think that if you are going to allow finely engineered shoes, poles, javelins, boats, balls, bicycles, then you should allow finely engineered bodies.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
jonknee 10y ago
> Isn't the Olympics reserved for amateurs (as in unpaid) athletes only? No. Look at any of the sports that have large followings outside the Olympics: Soccer, Basketball, Golf, Tennis, etc.
- thrownblown 10y ago
  this a relatively recent change, 1992. from the basketball "dream team" wiki: In 1989 FIBA modified its rules allowing professional athletes, such as NBA players, to compete internationally.[8] FIBA agreed in April 1989 to allow professionals to play in the Olympics, despite American and Russian votes against the proposal. USA Basketball asked the NBA to supply players for its 1992 roster; if 24 years is recent. I just realized that I'm an old man now.
  - dorfsmay 10y ago
    Thank you! I don't follow sports, my knowledge about the Olympics dates from high school, and let's just say that this was before 1992!
Larrikin 10y ago
This hasn't been true for years, although there was a push back when professionals originally began entering. Most countries pay athletes a fairly large sum if they medal as well.
ptaipale 10y ago
Olympic games were originally for amateurs, but the concept of "full-time amateur athlete" as developed in Eastern Block starting 1950's made this completely ridiculous by 1970's. Since 1988, the international federations of each sport have been allowed to set the rules for professional participation. For instance, in the largest of global sports, football (soccer), the players can be professionals, but they have to be under 23 years old, with just three over-age players allowed.

What do you mean by "going to the athletes"? Isn't the Olympics reserved for amateurs (as in unpaid) athletes only? Are the athletes receiving any money at the Olympics?

J_Darnley 10y ago

Paying for travel to the games, maybe. Amateurs, except for the tennis players, the football players, and the bicycle riders. All of which are the big name stars who get paid to compete in other dedicated tournaments. I'm sure there are others too but those are the most promoted sports. I don't think the ones above get paid for the Olympics though.

ptaipale 10y ago
There are lots of professionals in other Olympic sports. Track and field, volleyball, swimmers, basketball, sailing, handball, etc. Usain Bolt is definitely a professional athlete (a sprinter) and so is Marina Alabau (a sailor) or Zhang Jike (a table tennis player). Regarding compensation, it depends on the country, but I think many will get a bonus payment for medals or good performance. But anyway, the real money lies in advertising deals that athletes can get once they become big names (except for countries that have other types of compensation systems, e.g. North Korea).
- J_Darnley 10y ago
  > There are lots of professionals in other Olympic sports. So then there is absolutely no point in watching. Well, not until they start the doping league. (Should we debate whether the current one is?)
  - ptaipale 10y ago
    Why so? The Olympic Games is the main event for professional track and field athletes, for instance, and if you're interested in professional sports - or any sports of absolutely leading edge competition, even when semi-amateur - then Olympics is the big event.
    - J_Darnley 10y ago
      Oh many reasons. It is the most colossal waste of money. It is a horrible IP abuser. Almost everything surrounding it is massively corrupt. Some sports don't deserve to be in because they are not about (or less about) individual athletic performance. Even if you like the competition those seem like strong reasons not to watch. I personally think that if you are going to allow finely engineered shoes, poles, javelins, boats, balls, bicycles, then you should allow finely engineered bodies.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

jonknee 10y ago

> Isn't the Olympics reserved for amateurs (as in unpaid) athletes only? No. Look at any of the sports that have large followings outside the Olympics: Soccer, Basketball, Golf, Tennis, etc.

thrownblown 10y ago
this a relatively recent change, 1992. from the basketball "dream team" wiki: In 1989 FIBA modified its rules allowing professional athletes, such as NBA players, to compete internationally.[8] FIBA agreed in April 1989 to allow professionals to play in the Olympics, despite American and Russian votes against the proposal. USA Basketball asked the NBA to supply players for its 1992 roster; if 24 years is recent. I just realized that I'm an old man now.
- dorfsmay 10y ago
  Thank you! I don't follow sports, my knowledge about the Olympics dates from high school, and let's just say that this was before 1992!

Larrikin 10y ago

This hasn't been true for years, although there was a push back when professionals originally began entering. Most countries pay athletes a fairly large sum if they medal as well.

ptaipale 10y ago

Olympic games were originally for amateurs, but the concept of "full-time amateur athlete" as developed in Eastern Block starting 1950's made this completely ridiculous by 1970's. Since 1988, the international federations of each sport have been allowed to set the rules for professional participation. For instance, in the largest of global sports, football (soccer), the players can be professionals, but they have to be under 23 years old, with just three over-age players allowed.