On Monday evening, the men’s 3x3 basketball team won a second bronze medal for Lithuania at the Paris Olympics. Rower Viktorija Senkutė, meanwhile, was the first Lithuanian to win a medal. For these achievements, Lithuanian athletes are guaranteed financial awards that are among the most generous in the world.
Senkutė, who took unpaid leave from the IT company where she works to participate in the Olympic Games, as well as the men’s 3x3 basketball team will receive a state bonus of 62,920 euros for winning the Olympic bronze medal.
The Olympic medal also secures long-term state support – for the next Olympic cycle, the athletes will receive an increased monthly stipend of 3,135 euros starting this year. It is awarded to the winners of 1–4 place at the Olympic, Paralympic, or Deaf Games and 1–3 place at the World Championships and World Disability Championships.
The medal winners have also secured a state pension, which is given to retired athletes for the rest of their lives. Under the current system, it is awarded to Olympic medallists and world champions in Olympic sports.
According to the list of the most generous countries for their Olympic champions, released by the Olympic Committees, Lithuania ranks ninth, behind only Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Serbia, and Italy.
The US, for example, have promised their athletes only 41,000 euros for winning the gold medal. The Lithuanians will receive 167,695 euros for an Olympic gold medal in Paris and 83,875 euros for a silver medal.
State awards for Olympic gold medals:
1. Hong Kong – 700,000 euros
2. Singapore – 682,000 euros
3. Indonesia – 274,000 euros
4. Israel – 248,000 euros
5. Kazakhstan – 229,000 euros
6. Malaysia – 197,000 euros
7. Serbia – 199,000 euros
8. Italy – 179,000 euros
9. Lithuania – 167,000 euros
10. Moldova – 156,000 euros
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