Olympics & prize money - WTF?

Steve_b77
Steve_b77 Posts: 1,680
edited November 2009 in The bottom bracket
IN light of Rebellin having his Silver medal stripped in the mens road race due to a positive dope test they also took away his £67k prize money.

I thought the Olympics were meant to be for amature pursuits and therefore no prize money, obviously I understand that the atheletes are pretty much all professional, but prize money in the Olympics, no wonder thay cost so much to stage :shock:

Comments

  • bobtbuilder
    bobtbuilder Posts: 1,537
    It was my understanding that the "prize money" in question was awarded by CONI (Italian sports body) rather than by the IOC. So technically, it's not Olympic prize money, but a reward to successful athletes by a national federation.
  • mattbass789
    mattbass789 Posts: 355
    and not all olympic events are amateur.
    “If you worried about falling off the bike, you’d never get on.”

    @mattbeedham
  • TheTalkingTurboTrainer
    TheTalkingTurboTrainer Posts: 916
    mattbass789 wrote:
    and not all olympic events are amateur.

    Don't you mean not all Olympic athletes are amateur?

    I'm pretty sure the games themselves are amateur and nobody gets prize money.
    Vive les All Blacks!!! [:D]
  • Steve_b77
    Steve_b77 Posts: 1,680
    Which is why the football is limited to U23's at the time of the competition.

    I think :?
  • TheTalkingTurboTrainer
    TheTalkingTurboTrainer Posts: 916
    Are you sure?

    Basketball is rammed with NBA stars and Ice Hockey in the Winter Olympics is rammed with NHL stars regardless of age.

    Unless FIFA somehow can make this a rule? although I am not sure they can really dictate to the IOC can they?
    Vive les All Blacks!!! [:D]
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    I think it's a FIFA thing. The football tournament at the Olympics is for U23s with 3 players who are allowed to be over that. I think there's also some rule that those over age players aren't allowed to have represented their country at a World Cup - but I may be wrong on that one.
  • OffTheBackAdam
    OffTheBackAdam Posts: 1,869
    The amateur restrictions in the Olympics went out of the window years back.
    Someone finally twigged that some countries' soldiers were actually in their armed forces as a job and trained largely in their spare time, not the other way around!
    Remember that you are an Englishman and thus have won first prize in the lottery of life.
  • snailracer
    snailracer Posts: 968
    The ancient Olympics featured prizes and many athletes were professionals.
    At the beginning of the modern Olympics, prizes and professionalism were outlawed, and, amazingly, hard training was considered cheating.
    The restoration of prizes and professionalism (and superhuman training) is actually a return to the original values of the Olympics.
  • Smokin Joe
    Smokin Joe Posts: 2,706
    I don't believe their is any sport now which has a distinction between amateur and professional.
  • Bikerbaboon
    Bikerbaboon Posts: 1,017
    boxing ?


    ( i dont know for shure but i think it was as after the last games there was discution over a boxer going pro so could not reprisent us in 2012)
    Nothing in life can not be improved with either monkeys, pirates or ninjas
    456
  • blackhands
    blackhands Posts: 950
    Smokin Joe wrote:
    I don't believe their is any sport now which has a distinction between amateur and professional.

    Boxing
  • Stewie Griffin
    Stewie Griffin Posts: 4,330
    Bikerbaboon wrote:
    boxing ?

    Golf? Which will soon be an Olympic Sport along with Tennis, Woods and Federer collecting their gold medals and really making a mockery of the Olympic ideal.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I think the Olympics has lost the plot. Tennis, Football, Golf ? And slashing the mens track cycling disciplines ? Ridiculous.

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