Lipnitskaya, Sotnikova receive Mercedes, US$ 120,000 | Golden Skate

Lipnitskaya, Sotnikova receive Mercedes, US$ 120,000

volk

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 24, 2007
http://en.rsport.ru/olympics/20140227/730450500.html

MOSCOW, February 27 (R-Sport) - Russian figure skating sensation Julia Lipnitskaia likes the luxury car she's been given as a prize for capturing a gold medal at the Sochi Winter Games. There's just one problem - she's far too young to drive it.

Lipnitskaia, 15, became one of the youngest Olympic gold medal winners in history when she helped Russia to victory in the inaugural team event at the Olympics earlier this month.

She was one of 44 athletes to receive a Mercedes in a ceremony led by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday.

"I sat in the car, and I liked everything," Lipnitskaia told R-Sport. "I'll start driving it when I'm 18 - rules are rules!" she said. "What will I do with it in the mean time? We still don't know, right now we'll just take it home," she added, referring to her base in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg.

Lipnitskaia's expected challenge for gold in the individual event faded when she fell in the short program and also in the free skate the next day. The event was won by her compatriot Adelina Sotnikova, who recorded a massive personal best to dethrone reigning champion Kim Yuna of South Korea.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
It would depend on what you were referring to.

Russia, and its predecessor, the USSR, have a tradition of rewarding Olympic gold medalists well. It is, indeed, how they roll.

In the US, you get a chance to meet the president...not equal to getting a Mercedes. And that is how the US rolls. Unfortunately.
 
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Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”
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Dec 29, 2013
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Can't we celebrate the things these girls are capable of and achieve. Too much bickering stemming from cheap shots around here. Yulia and Yuna are my two favorite skaters but I can find plenty of good to say about the rest. I say with all the pressure the country put on these youngsters it's well deserved. THEY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE JUDGING!! Nobody should hold the ISU's failures over these girls heads.
 

anyanka

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 8, 2011
Nice! Sounds like those swag bags that Oscar nominees get (but way, way more expensive)!
 

aschiutza

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
It is great that they got some prize!

Russian and Ost Europe are a little bit different than USA. In USA you have the chance to get well paid from sponsors, for comercials, for appeareance. You might get a place at a top uni, which will open your way for a later life after the skating one is ended. In Russia you don't have so good paid jobs. Sure, those being at the top for many years have now enogh money, but they are not so many. Many athletes will end sooner as they want their career and you don't win so much in a normal job to pay your medical care, which most atheles need badl

Figure skating has a good place in Russia, good spotlight. But the athletes of the other winter sports, outside hockey, are very quick forgeten and have no chance to make money like FS have.
 

Jump

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 16, 2014
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-04/kazakh-olympians-join-ex-soviet-comrades-for-top-medal-bonuses.html

South Korea offers a choice of one time lump sum or monthly pension for life to their medal winners. For gold medal, it's about ~$62,000 lump sum or ~$923 monthly payment. In addition, for male winners, they get automatic exemption from mandatory military service which is a huge deal. If you figure most athletes are in their teens and early twenties, lifetime monthly pension of 40-60 years can add up. For multiple medal winners, they can be set for life.
 

aschiutza

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
This is really clever from South Korea. I don't know if that is enough to live decent life, but it is a great idea anyway.
 

anyanka

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 8, 2011
It is great that they got some prize!

Russian and Ost Europe are a little bit different than USA. In USA you have the chance to get well paid from sponsors, for comercials, for appeareance. You might get a place at a top uni, which will open your way for a later life after the skating one is ended. In Russia you don't have so good paid jobs. Sure, those being at the top for many years have now enogh money, but they are not so many. Many athletes will end sooner as they want their career and you don't win so much in a normal job to pay your medical care, which most atheles need badl

Figure skating has a good place in Russia, good spotlight. But the athletes of the other winter sports, outside hockey, are very quick forgeten and have no chance to make money like FS have.

That's great to know that the skaters get plenty of support in Russia! They don't get as much traction or attention in the Americas once the Olympics are over.

And I may not have agreed with the results of the ladies free skate, but I love that Adelina and Yulia both got great financial incentives. They both came from hardscrabble backgrounds and succeeded to become national darlings, and both view their skating as their jobs and they support their families. I respect that, regardless of the outcome.

:clap:
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
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Feb 27, 2012
... In the US, you get a chance to meet the president...not equal to getting a Mercedes. And that is how the US rolls. Unfortunately.

According to Forbes, American medalists also receive cash bonuses -- but via the USOC, not the U.S. government.
The U.S. Olympic Committee pays out a $25,000 bonus per gold medal, $15,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze. (The money does not come from the U.S. government — the USOC gets its money from the sale of broadcast rights, licensing and trademark income, and corporate sponsorships.)
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissm...already-owed-240000-in-olympic-medal-bonuses/ (Feb 2014)​

(And according to the article, each of the eight U.S. skaters in the team event is entitled to the bronze bonus.)​
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
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Australia
Nobody has asked the real question: how many cars does Plushy have now? :p
 

Memelah711

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 12, 2014
I'm happy Adelina and Yulia got such amazing rewards for a job well done at the Olympics!! :clap:

Out of curiosity--How old do you have to be to drive in Russia?
 

Jump

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 16, 2014
It is still relatively peanuts.


Does anyone know what Canadian medalists receive?

It's listed in the Bloomberg article I linked. For Canada, it's $17,900 for gold, $13,400 for silver, $8,900 for bronze. It's not a lot but some countries like Sweden and the UK don't pay at all.
 
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