Since Taekwondo made its Olympic debut in 1988, it’s been the dream of Canadian players to win that coveted gold medal. And it wasn’t because of the money, because there was none — until now that is.
The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) announced today that Canadian athletes who win gold in Taekwondo or any other sport will receive $20,000 for their efforts. Silver wins $15,000 while bronze gets you $10,000. Better still, in non-Olympic years any Canadian player who places in the top 4 or 5 at that year’s highest competition will receive $5000.
Other countries have been doing this for some time now. The US compensates athletes by a similar amount, Russia paid $100,000 to their gold medallists in 1996, and Chinese medallists have been awarded up to $200,000 in some cases. For high-profile athletes, commercial sponsorships after the big win can be worth significantly more.
This is especially good news for the two confirmed Taekwondo players representing Canada this Beijing Olympics: Ivett Gonda from B.C. and Sebastien Michaud from Quebec. Both have a clear shot at the podium, and may soon be joined by Quebec’s Karine Sergerie and Jocelyn Addison who will be fighting for the right to participate this December in Columbia.
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