Reasonable price for an Olympic medal (G/S/B not participation)

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by 1952boyntoncollector

you could also get one for free...all you have to do is qualify for the olympics and come in at least third in an event

some girl won a sharpshooting contest at 100m today..19 years old and won the gold for the U.S....but all you would have to do is come in third..

that looks easier than going the basketball route ie. going to NBA, being good enough and go on U.S. Men's Team and winning the gold at the olympics...or perhaps playing for a country you think will come in 3rd and changing citizenship to that team as it will be easier to make than the U.S. Team

and all that saves you the 10k etc..

This comment shows a complete lack of understanding of this sport and most Olympic sports. Virginia Thrasher from here in Springfield, VA, the same town I live, did not just pick up a gun and say "I want to go to the Olympics". She won a gold medal in 10 meter air rifle. That requires hitting a target the size of a dime from 32 feet 10 inches consistently. To be this good you need to fire THOUSANDS of rounds each year. Those are not free. You also need a specialized handmade rifle that is built for your body which costs thousands of dollars. You also need to have a shooting range, not free. There is also a coach, psychologist and possibly a physical trainer. You then must compete in enough sanctioned International Sport Shooting Federation (ISSF) competitions to qualify. Local competitions and national championships are not enough. Travel to other countries to compete is necessary and USA Shooting cannot completely fund every athlete for all of their expenses. Winning the NCAA championship this year, which she did, does not qualify her for the Olympics either.

I could go on, but hopefully you get the idea. I could do this for every Olympic sport.