Paris Olympics heroes bag $800,000 government rewards, car, condo, and more

Javelin champion Arshad Nadeem was awarded $897,000 in cash for his gold medal at Paris Olympics, including $538,000 from the Pakistani government and $359,000 from Nadeem’s hometown Punjab Province. His coach Salman Iqbal Butt was awarded $18,000.

The 27-year-old athlete brought home Pakistan’s first Olympic medal since Barcelona 1992, and the first gold medal for the South Asian country since Los Angeles 1984. Nadeem also became the first Asian javelin athlete to surpass the 90m mark at the Olympics.

Arshad Nadeem raise his arms as he is welcomed by thousands of Pakistanis after winning the gold medal in javelin at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Photo by AP

Nadeem won the men’s javelin gold medal at Paris 2024 with a throw distance of 92.97m, 2.4m further than the old record that has lasted for 16 years at the Games. For his remarkable achievement, Nadeem was awarded a car with a special license plate number “PAK 92.97” by Punjab Chief Minister Mariam Nawaz.

Pakistan even created a special postage stamp in honor of Nadeem, which depicts the record-breaking javelin throw. Nadeem and his family were flown to Islamabad by a special flight to attend a ceremony hosted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The Pakistan cricket team invited him to their dressing room to meet and get some inspiration ahead of their friendly against Bangladesh on Aug. 21.

Philippine gymnast superstar Carlos Yulo was promised a $1 million cash bonus by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and sponsors. Yulo was also given a condominium and a vacation home which is worth more than $1 million.

The 24-year-old athlete got many other rewards such as pizza, ice cream buffets for lunch and dinner, and free flights for life. A private medical center also gave him a free health check-up package for life.

Carlos Yulo (R) shows off his two gold medals in gymnastics won at the 2024 Paris Olympics, next to Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (L) with his wife and two sons. Photo by AP

Yulo brought home gold medals in freestyle gymnastics and men’s vault, becoming the only Southeast Asian to win two gold medals at an Olympics. Yulo is a rare talent in Philippine sports and has spent time training in Japan. Before Paris 2024, he won two gold medals at the World Championships and 10 gold medals at the Asian Championships.

The Philippines held a parade for Yulo on the main streets of Manila on Aug. 14. His bonus is expected to increase as boxing legend Manny Pacquiao has also promised an undisclosed cash bonus.

Taekwondo gold medalist Panipak Wongpattanakit will have two bonus options from the National Olympic Committee of Thailand. She can receive a lump sum of $281,972, or receive $338,367 in installments over four years. The 27-year-old athlete will also receive many additional bonuses from sponsors, estimated to be worth over $200,000 in total.

Panipak Wongpattanakit kisses her 49kg women’s taekwondo gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Photo by AFP

Wongpattanakit became the first Southeast Asian athlete to win medals three times in a row since Rio 2016, including two gold medals at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. She announced her retirement after her recent success and switched to opening a taekwondo training center.

French swimming champ Leon Marchand will receive around $346,000 from the government for his four gold medals in the 200m breaststroke, 200m butterfly, 200m and 400m medley. What he will gain more than anything is fame, as he is expected to become the most sought-after swimmer since the legendary Michael Phelps, attracting many famous brands in the world.

Marchand gain more than 550,000 followers on Instagram after Paris 2024 and he now has 1.4 million. He became the second most followed active swimmer, after Cody Simpson with 5.1 million. However, the Australian athlete is known more as a singer and an actor than a swimmer.

Leon Marchand competes in the 200m butterfly final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Photo by Reuters

Vivian Kong, the women’s saber gold medalist and Cheung Ka Long, the men’s saber gold medalist, became the two athletes at Paris 2024 to receive the largest bonus from their government, with $768,000. Hong Kong has increased its rewards for athletes by 20% since Tokyo 2020. Both also received free train tickets and free lifetime memberships at a gym chain.

Many countries also rewarded big non-cash prizes to the athletes, with China’s women’s singles table tennis gold medalist Chen Meng getting 6kg of gold. Speed climbing champion Aleksandra Miroslaw was given a diamond, a painting and a vacation by the Polish government.