What Olympic Winners Do With Their Medals
To stash or to sell?
Photo: Instagram/Olympics
What would you do with your most prized possession? You’ll never guess.
To stash or to sell?
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. Team USA Women’s Soccer player Christie Rampone keeps her medals in her pots and pans. Her rationale? Who’s going to look there? THEY WILL NOW
2. Honorable mentions go to a school locker (Bob Suter), their agent's house (Shaun White), in the nightstand (Lindsey Vonn) and the nail polish drawer (Caitlyn Jenner). Then there's the always popular sock drawer, where a slew of Olympic athletes store their medals, including Apolo Ohno, Natalie Coughlin, Mary Lou Retton and Sue Bird. PRIZED POSSESSION
3. Sprinter Carl Lewis put his 1987 medal in his father’s casket at his funeral. He told his mom that he was going to go back and get another one. And he did. MAN OF HIS WORD
4. Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko sold his medal from the 1996 Olympics for a reported $1 million, with the proceeds going to a children's charity he started with his brother. Other athletes have had no choice but to sell their medals to pay their bills. "Miracle On Ice" hockey player Mark Wells sold his medal to pay for back surgery. DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO
5. USA men’s basketball won a disappointing bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic games in Atlanta. Unhappy with the teams’ performance, Carmelo Anthony gave his bronze medal to a family member who auctioned it off for $14,000. ONE MAN’S TRASH IS ANOTHER’S TREASURE
Did you know? This year's Olympic medals are made of recycled metals from small electronic devices like mobile phones. But the medal isn't the only prize. American medal winners receive a bonus for their win. The scale is $37,000 for gold, $22,500 for silver and $15,000 for bronze. Thanks to the "Victory Tax," US Olympians earning less than $1 million/year won't have to pay tax on this prize money.
5 Things You Didn’t Know About The Olympics
After nearly a week of Olympic coverage, you’d think you’ve heard it all. We answer the questions you were too afraid to ask in today’s Five Things To Know.
After nearly a week of Olympic coverage, you’d think you’ve heard it all. We answer the questions you were too afraid to ask in today’s Five Things To Know.
Gold medal goodness,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Five Things You Didn’t Know About The Olympics
1. Ever wonder how skaters come off the ice without enormous wedgies? (You know you did). Some have been known to sew the bottom of their costume to their tights to keep everything in place. Gymnasts do something similar by using spray adhesive to keep their back tuck from becoming a full moon.
2. Real men wear pink and speedskaters wear blue. Why? Well no one really knows but there seems to be a consensus amongst the athletes that blue skates faster. That’s why you’ll even see teams that notoriously wear red, like Norway, wearing blue on the ice.
3. Have you watched the Olympians hurl down the tunnel of ice in the luge? You didn’t think there was room to hide anything in those skintight uniforms, but what you don’t really see is a vital neck strap. This strap helps the athlete hold their head up when they reach high g-forces. Do not try this one at home.
4. How do athletes in sports like skiing stay warm when they can’t wear a scarf? Athletic tape. They use athletic tape that resembles a giant Band-Aid to keep their nose and cheeks warm. It’s like a pore strip, only more patriotic. PICS
5. Coaches are an integral part of gold medal success but who pays for them? Athletes (or their families) typically pay for their coaches, putting them in a precarious financial situation. Different governing bodies (i.e. U.S. Figure Skating) have been known to also offer coaches medal incentives, similar to the athletes.
That’s not all folks
If you’re already over the Olympics or are looking for something else to talk about besides wedgies, here are the top three things happening in the world of sports. Find out what’s new in this year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, why Shaun White cried like a baby and which four-legged friend is 'best in show.' READ
5 Things To Know About The Winter Olympics
This could go down as the best week ever with the Super Bowl on Sunday and the Winter Olympics starting tomorrow with the opening ceremony on Friday. Break out your red, white and blue and show the office that you’re in the know.
This could go down as the best week ever with the Super Bowl on Sunday and the Winter Olympics starting tomorrow with the opening ceremony on Friday. Break out your red, white and blue and show the office that you’re in the know.
Get your game face on,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Five Things To Know About The Winter Olympics
1. This is the first Winter Olympics in Asia in 20 years and South Korea spent upwards of $13 billion for the Games (Sochi still holds the record for most expensive Olympics at $51 billion). PyeongChang has a population of around 43,000 people so some facilities, like the 35,000 person opening ceremony stadium, could be demolished after the Olympics are over.
2. The 242-person team representing the United States is the largest team representing any country in the history of the Winter Olympics.
3. While members of Team U.S.A. are not paid to participate in the games, they earn a little more than pride for winning a medal. This year, thanks to the elimination of the “Victory Tax,” most athletes will not be taxed on their medal bonuses. (Athletes earning more than $1 million a year like Shaun White, still have to pay taxes on their medal bonus. How much are the bonuses worth?
Gold medal $37,500
Silver medal $22,500
Bronze medal $15,000
4. For the first time in 20 years, NHL (National Hockey League) players will not participate in the Olympics. Why? One of the reasons is that it requires a 17-day break from the hockey season. Who will be playing instead? Players from European professional leagues, college hockey teams and the American Hockey League.
5. These Winter Olympics are expected to be one of the coldest games in history, with the average high temperature right below freezing. Luckily for Team U.S.A., their opening ceremony jackets have built-in heaters. Let’s hope someone remembered to pack the batteries. Just because it’s cold, doesn’t mean there will be snow, but thanks to science no one is worried.
Heads up - PyeongChang is 14 hours ahead of the Eastern Standard Time. Here’s what you can watch and when.
But Wait There’s More
It's not all about the Olympics. Here are the top three things what’s happening in the world of sports today. Let’s talk about free beer, JT’s Super Bowl payday and why steroids are bad….or good? Read it.
