
Olympic athletes don't actually make that much money despite pulling in viewers from all across the world, yet one recent gold medallist could be due a payout of around $1 million thanks to an unexpected celebration after securing victory.
You often hear about the jaw-dropping salaries of leading figures in the sports worlds, where top players will often earn more in minutes than most get across an entire year, yet the same isn't necessarily true for Olympians.
It very much varies from country to country, but Olympic athletes are typically only given a payment from their home nation if they come home with a medal, with some countries offering no more than six figures for top-placing participants.
That's true for Olympians representing the Netherlands, as despite winning the 1,000-meter Speed Skating gold and breaking the world record in the process, Jutta Leerdam is only expected to get $35,000 from her nation's committee.
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Leerdam, who is also fiancé to former YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, could be set to bag a payout exceeding $1 million thanks to a key detail in her moment of celebration though, earning her far more than initially expected.
While the official merchandise of the Netherlands Winter Olympic team is created by FILA, Leerdam's jubilation upon securing gold saw her unzip her top to reveal a sports bra underneath, with Nike branding clearly on display.
Nike themselves have already whipped up promotional material following this branding hole-in-one, sharing a post on Instagram that celebrated Leerdam's victory with the caption:
"When you're this fast, you don't ask for permission. Jutta Leerdam breaks the Olympic record in the Speed Skating 1000M and wins her first Gold."
Many initially focused on the tear-filed reaction of her fiancé Paul in the crowd, as he dropped his typically macho veneer to show an outpouring of emotion in response to Leerdam's feat, yet the simple reveal could see her walking home with a huge chunk of change.
Advertising expert Frederique de Laat revealed when speaking to Dutch publication AD that Leerdam's powerful move could net her a considerable sum, noting that "with Nike, I suspect you're looking at a figure of over a million."
On top of this, Paul appears to be producing a documentary on his fiancé's Olympic experience and success, arguing: "We just witnessed one of the most important sporting moments ever. The doc will tell. Words can't describe how proud of you I am."