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

[bbcard1]

As timing would have it, there's an interesting story on Money today about that very subject....

http://time.com/money/4418118/olympi.../?xid=homepage

[Michael B]

The article is a bit misleading regarding the USOC paying for winning a medal. They are known to pay for any medal won. I believe it was $25/15/10,000 or $25/10/5,000. However, if an athlete is still in high school or college and want to retain their eligibility they cannot accept the check. If you are someone like Missy Franklin or Katie Ladecki who was still in high school when you won your medal and your parents could not afford the just about guaranteed $100,000+ scholarship/education you would receive from a top school you turn it down.

This is also true with any endorsements or advertising. A good example is the 1998 Women's ice hockey team. Not all of the members of the team were on the Wheaties Box. The five who were still in college or high school did not appear on the box - Sara DeCosta (Providence College), Sarah Tueting (Dartmouth), Tara Mounsey (Brown), Jenny Schmidgall (UMinn/Duluth) and Angela Ruggiero (Choate Rosemary Hall)

[drcy]

I bet you could get a bronze for a thousand. Just a guess. I look at Olympic stuff in passing, am no expert.

My related story is, I'm a former track runner and like track stuff, and won for the minimum bid of $9.99 a 1950s German track medal on eBay. I showed it to my dad and, after looking closely at it, he said "This looks like an award setting a world's record." I translated the German inscription and, sure enough, it was given to a Russian hurdler for setting the world's record at the meet. Something I entirely missed. Raised the value by a factor of about 30x.

[CW]

Another AH to watch is Heritage. They've auctioned off multiple medals of different types over the years. They're currently auctioning off some Olympic stuff, although I don't think it's exactly what you're looking for, John.

[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..

[bnorth]

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..

Never participated in a competitive sport have you Jake? Trust me the $10k would be much easier.

Also it really depressed me when they let paid professionals compete in the Olympics.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by bnorth

Never participated in a competitive sport have you Jake? Trust me the $10k would be much easier.

Also it really depressed me when they let paid professionals compete in the Olympics.

Been going on for 100 years probably with other countries like Russia.

E-Sports may be an olympic event someday, than we can talk..

but no events are created equal, people that run the 100m could qualify as a runner for bobsled but no drivers of the bobsled can ever compete in the 100m.

also curling 'athletes' arent in the same league as athletes in the triathelon etc..

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by bnorth

Also it really depressed me when they let paid professionals compete in the Olympics.

There have been professionals in the Olympics since the 1896 Games. When they decided to include fencing in the Olympic program it was determined that they should allow fencing masters who made their living by teaching. By doing this they could attract the best fencers of the era. This was done in 1896 in Athens and 1900 in Paris. The first Greek to win an Olympic championship in the modern games was a fencing master, Leonidas Pyrgos.

Up until 1948 you needed to be a military officer to compete in equestrian events, thus a professional rider.

Many of the early competitors in shooting were also military. The whole 1912 U.S. rifle team were in the military - Navy, Army, Iowa National Guard and West Virginia National Guard. It was not limited to officers though. One member of this team as a hospital steward in the Navy. The U.S. Army still has a sharpshooting team in Ft. Benning, GA that produces Olympic shooters

[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.

[baseball tourist]

Originally Posted by Michael B

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.

Kudos to Ms. Thrasher. It seems that she is a "natural" who no doubt has worked countless hours perfecting her prowess but apparently didn't pick up a rifle until 5 years ago when on a hunting trip she dropped a deer with her first shot.

My beef isn't with her but with the IOC who continues to include "sports" like shooting, handball, equestrian, synchronized swimming and trampoline in the Games; while Baseball is currently out (coming back, I know). Handball? Come on!?

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by Michael B

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.

yeah i obviously think its very easy to play any sport...... however i have seen hershel walker tryout for the bobsled team and i have seen a track runner compete for the bobsled team (lolo jones) but i never seen a bobsled team member than try to sneak on the track team.....certain sports are just easier to make than others..as some athetes that play one sport could have have played another sport....but i dont think any curling members could ever make the olympic basketball team.....more of a chance someone from the basketball team could make the curling team for example...you cant coach height...