It's true that most Olympic athletes are paid nothing, barely make ends meet at home, and are largely ignored by sponsors/advertisers. The OP argues that the r

It's true that most Olympic athletes are paid nothing, barely make ends meet at home, and are largely ignored by sponsors/advertisers. The OP argues that the reason for this is that the Olympic Committee doesn't do more for athletes. As the OP puts it, "everybody is sort of left to their own device." I'm not so sure. A more plausible explanation is that audiences care more about some sports than others, so income will always flow to the stars in those sports.