THE SOUTH African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) has paid a total of R2,7 million to Team SA for the 10 medals won at the Rio Olympics.
SA matched their haul of 10 medals from the 1920 Games in Antwerp, Belgium, and the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland.
In Rio, South Africa won two gold, six silver and two bronze medals, finishing 30th in the overall medals table.
At the announcement of the South African team to compete in Rio last month, Sascoc confirmed an incentive programme designed to encourage athletes to excel in Rio.
Sascoc promised to award all gold medallists at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games R500 000.
An amount of R400 000 would go to the athlete and the remaining R100 000 to the coach.
Silver medal winners would earn R200 000, plus R50 000 for the coach, while those bagging bronze would pocket R80 000, plus R20 000 for the coach.
The breakdown of Team SA’s medal winners in Rio plus the money won:
- R400 000 – Wayde van Niekerk, men’s 400m (plus R100 000 to his coach).
- R400 000 – Caster Semenya, women’s 800m (plus R100 000 to her coach).
- R200 000 – Chad le Clos, men’s 200m freestyle (plus R50 000 to his coach).
- R200 000 – Chad le Clos, men’s 100m butterfly (plus R50 000 to his coach).
- R200 000 – Cameron van der Burgh, men’s 100m breaststroke (plus R50 000 to his coach).
- R200 000 – Luvo Manyonga, men’s long jump (plus R50 000 to his coach).
- R200 000 – Sunette Viljoen, women’s javelin (plus R50 000 to her coach).
- R200 000 – Shaun Keeling and Lawrence Brittain, men’s coxless pair (plus R50 000 to their coach).
- R80 000 – Henri Schoeman, men’s triathlon (plus R20 000 to his coach).
- R80 000 – rugby Sevens team (plus R20 000 to their coach).
Of interest is the fact the Singapore’s Joseph Schooling, who denied American swimming legend Michael Phelps gold in the 100m butterfly, got R10 million for winning.
And USA gold medal winners in Rio “only” earned $25 000 (about R339 600). The USA finished well clear atop the medal table with 121 medals, of which 46 were gold. – NEWS24
