Eugene. Kazakh athlete Nora Jiroto fell herself among the highest-paid WC stars after winning the 3000 hurdles.
WC Gold was rewarded with a $250,000 bounty from the Kazakh state, just over 2.6 million Swedish kronor.
The Swedes get nothing.
Kenyan-born Nora Jiroto became a Kazakh national in 2017 and won the women’s 3000 hurdles with a superb time of 8:53.02.
It’s the third fastest time ever.
Kazakhstan is one of the countries that pays the most bonuses to its active members.
They were also among the highest ranked at the Tokyo Olympics last summer, with Olympic gold worth $250,000, silver $150,000 and bronze $75,000.
Like Jirotto Kenyashe had received “only” about 85,000 crowns for the gold, the Kenyan gold reward.
I get nothing
On the other hand, the Swedish Athletics Federation distributes less than the Swedish Olympic Committee’s distribution at the Olympics.
That is nothing.
Countries reward their heroes is not unusual, but the differences between different countries are high.
When Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra took Olympic gold in javelin throwing last summer, it changed his life.
22 million as a reward
After just a few hours, he showered with money, as state governments and sponsors tried to outdo each other in giving Chopra extra checks.
In the end, he got the equivalent of SEK 22 million in total gold rewards, a new SUV from Indian car manufacturer Mahindra, and one year of free air travel from airline IndiGo.
Chopra’s throwing playoffs here in Eugene tonight.
But the question is whether Qatari high jumper Mutaz Issa Barshim is the one who gets the most rewards in his home country.
There is no official reward, but $2 million is being talked about in his case. Although perhaps no one knows more than he himself.
Barshim won World Cup gold here in Eugene and shared the Olympic gold with Italian Gianmarco Tampere in Tokyo.
There will also be a little tip.
When Barshim won WC gold on home soil in Doha in 2019, he was called to a car dealership a few days later.
There he got the keys to a brand-new Lamborghini in his hand, says his Swedish manager, Daniel Weisfeldt.