Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics – Preview – Livigno, Italy – February 2, 2026 General view of the Olympic rings ahead of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
Marko Djurica | Reuters
For athletes competing at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, a podium can mean more than glory and a medal. In some countries, it also comes with watches and six-figure payments.
Nearly 2,900 athletes from more than 90 national Olympic committees are competing in the Winter Games in 116 medal-winning events across eight sports.
Although the International Olympic Committee does not award prize money, many governments and national Olympic bodies offer cash bonuses.
Here’s how some countries rank, based on information compiled by CNBC from national Olympic committees, sports associations and local reports.
Singapore leads the payment rankings for the 2026 Winter Games.
The Southeast Asian nation offers around $792,000 for an individual gold medal, $395,000 for a silver medal and $197,000 for a bronze medal, making it the most generous payout for a gold medal among the countries examined.
Singapore has only competed in one previous Winter Games, the 2018 edition, where short track speed skater Cheyenne Goh finished 28th in the women’s 1,500 meters.
The country is once again represented by just one athlete in Italy: alpine skier Faiz Basha, who failed to finish the first run of the giant slalom at the Stelvio Ski Center in Bormio, ending his campaign among 81 athletes.
Hong Kong, which sent alpine skiers and short track speed skaters to compete in Italy, is offering about $768,000 for gold, $384,000 for silver and $192,000 for bronze. The city has yet to win a medal at the Winter Olympics.
In Europe, Poland stands out not only for the scale but also for the variety of its awards. Individual gold medalists can receive approximately $211,000. The package also includes a Toyota Corolla passenger car, a fully furnished two-room apartment, a painting, a holiday voucher and jewelry.
Paintings and jewelry are also part of the entitlements offered to silver and bronze medalists, along with monetary awards of approximately $169,000 and $124,000, respectively.
Host nation Italy is offering approximately $214,000 for gold, $107,000 for silver and $71,000 for bronze.
South Korea awards about $208,000 for gold, about $139,000 for silver and $70,000 for bronze.
In some cases, rewards go beyond standard medal bonuses. South Korean state media reported that snowboarder Choi Ga-on received 300 million won from her sports association after winning gold, while private companies also gave additional gifts, including a luxury watch from Swiss brand Omega.
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee awards $37,500 for gold, $22,500 for silver and $15,000 for bronze.
Glory only, for someThat said, not all winter sports powerhouses pay out prize money directly.
Norway, which has the most medals in Winter Games history, does not award cash bonuses for podium finishes. Instead, athletes who continue to compete can receive financial support from the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee. The stipend amounts to approximately 160,000 Norwegian crowns per year ($16,831) and includes access to vocational training and medical services.
In some countries, there is no publicly available medal bonus system. The UK does not provide cash bonuses for Olympic medals, meaning Team Great Britain athletes will not receive additional payments for podium finishes in 2026. Instead, financial support is provided by UK Sport, which uses National Lottery funding to support athlete coaching, coaching and development.
China also does not publish a standardized national payment structure for Winter Games medals, with awards often determined at the provincial level or by sponsor.
An Olympic medal represents years of sacrifice and training. In a high-stakes competition that’s decided in seconds, a podium finish can also bring a life-changing win.
