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How much Winter Olympic stars get paid for winning medals – and why Team GB get nothing

hopticsFebruary 17, 2026

Great Britain's Skeleton gold medalist Matt Weston in Cortina d???Ampezzo, on day eight of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Italy. Weston delivered Britain???s first medal of the 2026 Winter Olympics in style as he dominated the men???s skeleton competition. The British star claimed victory by a cumulative total of 0.88 seconds over his four runs, ahead of German pair Alex Jungk and Christopher Grotheer, who took silver and bronze respectively. Picture date: Saturday February 14, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: Use subject to restrictions. Editorial use only, no commercial use without prior consent from rights holder. — Winning gold is the ultimate dream but for many athletes at the 2026 Winter Olympics the glory comes with a bonus — a hefty chunk of cash. While the International Olympic Committee doesn’t hand out prize money, individual nations go to extreme lengths to reward their podium-toppers with eye-watering bonuses. From six-figure cheques to luxury apartments, the stakes in Milan-Cortina are higher than ever for the world’s elite winter stars. (Picture: PA)

If you’re representing Great Britain, your gold medal won’t come with a direct cash prize from the government or the British Olympic Association. Instead, Team GB focuses on a stipend model to cover training and living costs, which is funded by the National Lottery. Team GB employ a structured pay scale, determined according to the status of each athlete and how likely they are to win a medal at a particular games, BBC reports. The philosophy is that funding should support the journey to the podium, rather than acting as a one-off reward for reaching it. (Picture: Getty Images)

At the other end of the scale, some nations are prepared to break the bank to reward success. Forbes reveal that at least 37 nations confirmed they are offering cash bonuses for podium places at Milano-Cortina with Singapore topping the 2026 list by offering an incredible $787,000 (£580,000) for a single gold medal. Hong Kong isn’t far behind, pledging around $768,000 (£568,00) to anyone who can secure a win. (Picture: Getty Images)

Across Europe, the rewards vary wildly, with host nation Italy offering a generous $213,000 for every home-grown gold medalist for winning on home soil. Poland has taken things a step further for 2026; on top of a massive cash bonus, individual winners can bag a furnished two-room apartment, a Toyota Corolla, and even jewelry. It’s a life-changing haul that ensures their athletes are financially set up long after the final closing ceremony has ended. (Picture: Getty Images)

For the US and Canada, the payouts are much more modest but still provide a welcomeboost to the athletes’ bank accounts. American athletes receive $37,500 for a gold, $22,500 for silver, and $15,000 for bronze, with a new 2026 initiative even contributing $100,000 toward their retirement funds regardless of their results. Meanwhile, Canadian stars earn $15,000 for a first-placed win. (Picture: Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

Behind Singapore and Hong Kong as the top-paying nations is Poland ($355,000 per gold), Kazakhstan ($250,000) and Italy ($213,0000). New Zealand offered the lowest sum from the nations to confirm they will financially reward medals at $3,000 for bringing home gold, while others offer nothing at all. This wide gap shows that while the medals look the same on the podium, their value in the bank depends entirely on the passport you hold. (Picture: Getty Images)

Financial reward per gold, according to Forbes

Biathlon - Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics: Day 5 — Singapore – $787,000
Hong Kong – $768,000
Poland – $355,000
Kazakhstan – $250,000
Italy – $213,000
Cyprus – $177,000
Bulgaria – $151,000
Lithuania – $133,000
Kosovo – $130,000
Estonia – $118,000
Czechia – $117,000
Spain – $111,000
Greece – $106,000
Slovenia – $81,000
Andorra – $71,000
Slovakia – $71,000
Brazil – $67,000

(Picture: Getty Images)

Financial reward per gold, according to Forbes

Switzerland – $64,000
Finland – $59,000
Portugal – $59,000
Croatia – $48,000
Montenegro – $41,000
United States – $37,500
Germany – $35,000
Netherlands – $35,000
Liechtenstein – $32,000
Malaysia – $20,000
Norway – $17,000
Denmark – $16,000
Canada – $15,000
Australia – $13,000
Argentina – $8,000
New Zealand – $3,000

(Picture: Getty Images)

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