With the Olympics underway the controversial issue of taxing our Olympians is being brought to the forefront of many news outlets. All U.S. Olympic medal winners are awarded a monetary reward from the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) for earning a medal in the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games. Gold medal winners receive $25,000, silver medals earn $15,000 and a bronze medal will net an Olympian $10,000. However, Olympians with aspirations of winning a medal and earning money shouldn’t expect to return home with their full payment in hand. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will be taxing all American medal winners for this year’s Sochi Olympics. Each medal will be taxed differently depending on which income tax bracket the Olympian is in. Gold medal winners in the top income bracket will have to fork over up to $9,900 to the U.S. government. The IRS shows no mercy on the Olympians as it treats any winnings earned acquired overseas just as equally as an earning received by an average citizen working on American soil. While concerns are growing over the ethics of taxing our American Olympians, we need to question whether Olympians should be paid for their medals in the first place.
The origins of the Olympics trace back to ancient Greece in 776 B.C. These games were formed for a few different reasons, but an integral factor in the creation of the Olympics was the celebration of religion. While religion has been minimized in the modern scene of Olympic sport, there are two founding components of the original games that are still evident today. These two motives were to showcase the physical qualities of amateur athletes and to encourage positive relations between the cities of Greece. While the Olympics have undergone drastic changes since their beginnings, it is important to remember why we host these biennial games.
The Olympics were not founded on the principle of athletes competing against each other for money. Rather, the Olympics were founded in celebration of human achievement and peace between nations. These ideas are still a centerpiece of modern games, but there has also been an extensive commercialization of the Olympics. For example, the 2012 Bejing Summer Olympics brought in a whopping $16 million dollar profit. The early Olympic host cities did enjoy some spoils of hosting the games. However, by no means did cities look to host the games for purely economic incentives. It was an honor to be a host and provide a venue for the region’s best young athletes to compete at. These ancient athletes competed for pride and honor.
While the Olympians of 2014 no doubt compete with similar mindsets, it would be hard to believe that they do not have the potential $25,000 paycheck at the back of their minds. Some may see this money as extra motivation to work harder and succeed at the Olympics. I would argue that this money is a distraction from the true virtues of what the Olympics were founded on. There is nothing wrong with Olympians making money from endorsements outside of the Olympics, but there is no place for paying our athletes while they compete. The Olympics are in their creation a sports gathering for amateur athletes to display their physical prowess. As soon as we begin to hand out money to our medal winners, the idea of amateurism goes right out the window. Amateurism is the idea where athletes play their sport not for money, but purely for the competition and love of the game. Where have these amateur ideals gone and why do we have to commercialize one of the greatest events of American patriotism? We are heading in a direction where all Olympians may someday be paid to provide their services to their national team. If this day ever does come, I will be sitting in a corner shaking my head in shame, asking myself whatever happened to the true spirit of the Olympics.
Ryan Smith (rssmith3
