American Gold Medals now worth $250,000.00

**Schlottke** · 06-03-2009 01:16 PM

During the gold-medal finals of the World Team Trials in Council Bluffs, Iowa on May 30, USA Wrestling made a major announcement that has the Olympic sports community buzzing.

A new program, the Living the Dream Medal Fund, has been established which will substantially increase the financial rewards for U.S. wrestlers who win Olympic and World medals during the next four-year Olympic cycle.

Any U.S. wrestler who wins a gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England will receive a quarter-million dollars.
Silver medalists in London will earn $50,000 and bronze medalists in London will receive $25,000

The payout for a World Championships medal in 2009, 2010 and 2011 will be $50,000 for a gold, $25,000 for a silver and $15,000 for a bronze.

The Fund will be maintained as a restricted and segregated fund by USA Wrestling.* It will be overseen by a board that includes representatives of USA Wrestling as well as the group of stewards who have helped establish the Fund and will assist in financially underwriting it.

In addition to the support of the stewards, the funding will also come from a public fundraising program as well as from existing support from USA Wrestling and the U.S. Olympic Committee. Contributions to this Fund will only go directly to pay the awards to each athlete that achieves a spot on a World or Olympic podium.

Included among the stewards are all three Team Leaders for the U.S. wrestling programs: Mike Novogratz (freestyle), Dave Barry (Greco-Roman) and the family of Kim Martori-Wickey (women). Other initial stewards in the program include Rich Tavoso, Stan Dziedzic and Joe Alpert.

"This fund has the soul purpose of increasing the stipends our athletes get for winning a medal, for making it to the podium at the World Championships or Olympic Games," said Mike Novogratz during the announcement in Council Bluffs. "We thought about this as a way of showing our appreciation, and the wrestling community's appreciation, for the hard work, sacrifice and dedication that these young men and women go through."

USA Wrestling has set up a website for the Living the Dream Medal Fund, where wrestling supporters can make donations to the project. People have been asked to give donations from $5 to $5,000 to the fund.

**Champ Kind** · 06-03-2009 01:30 PM

Great idea, but we still need to pay the 2-10 guys more money to stick around and train. We need people to challenge the #1 guy or he won't get any better.

**Gantry** · 06-03-2009 04:00 PM

Definitely a step in the right direction, I'll gladly chip in some cash for that...

**Pimach** · 06-03-2009 05:10 PM

Its cool that they are finalyy going this route, but i would think that Silver could garner a little bit more, maybe 100k and a bronze 50k?

also i think maybe this will push the #2-10 guys to hang around and push for that top spot.

**Gold** · 06-03-2009 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by Pimach

Its cool that they are finalyy going this route, but i would think that Silver could garner a little bit more, maybe 100k and a bronze 50k?

also i think maybe this will push the #2-10 guys to hang around and push for that top spot.

I think it would be nice if silver winners got a little more too, but they need to be realistic about how much money they will be able to raise right now. Imagine if somehow this Olympic year we had 2 Gold medalists. $500,000 in donations is a lot to count on, in my opinion.

**grecowrestler13** · 06-03-2009 10:21 PM

Still doesn't even come close to Russia's $2,000,000 reward for Olympic golds. Plus, the cars the wrestlers get. Some even get apartment.

**Adolf Oliverbush** · 06-03-2009 11:23 PM

Originally Posted by grecowrestler13

Still doesn't even come close to Russia's $2,000,000 reward for Olympic golds. Plus, the cars the wrestlers get. Some even get apartment.

It doesn't come close to what WWE World Heavyweight wrestling champions earn either, but it's a hell of an increase to what's presently awarded.

**bluestater** · 06-04-2009 12:08 AM

Originally Posted by Pimach

also i think maybe this will push the #2-10 guys to hang around and push for that top spot.

Exactly. That's why the Bellator Fighting CHampionships in MMA have turned out such awesome fights. It's a tourney with a big payoff in the end, and so guys are more likely to push and train for the big cash.

As far as the silver and bronze being worth more, hell no. Especially with two bronzes being awarded these days! It should be an insanely higher amount for gold because quite frankly, it's where America has gotten it's ass kicked in the past few Olympics.