Photo: Tiriac Foundation | Modified
The athletes who qualified to compete in the Paris Olympics worked hard to earn their chance at international recognition. Their accommodations in the French capital may not have been the best (remember the cardboard beds and lack of air conditioning?), but they did receive a nice first gift: a limited-edition Samsung flip phone. But for these Olympians, that was just the beginning of a wonderful journey.
In this age where everything happens so quickly and trends are short-lived, seeing ordinary people realize a dream they have probably trained for since childhood is a reminder that having long-term goals is worth it. About 17,000 athletes competed for a medal. Those who won brought joy to their families and friends. They made their countrymen proud of an individual effort that can now serve as an inspiration to millions.
In the United States, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) awards gold medal winners a bonus of $37,500. Athletes who win a silver or bronze medal receive $22,500 and $15,000, respectively. That's OK, but it's nothing compared to what other countries give their champions.
Serbia, a small European nation that was once part of Yugoslavia, is giving its winners just over $200,000 if they come home with a gold medal. Considering that the object weighs 529 grams and contains only six grams of gold, that prize makes the whole feat worthwhile.
But most athletes don’t care what the medal is made of or how much money they could make if they won. They went to the Paris Olympics to prove that humans can do incredible things without needing any artificial enhancements to put on an almost unbelievable display of skill.
Serbia’s neighbor Romania took things to another level. Although the government confirmed that athletes would receive $140,000 for a gold medal, $100,000 for a silver medal, and $60,000 for an Olympic bronze roundel, a former tennis player (who won the 1970 French Open) and noted motor enthusiast named Ion Tiriac took it upon himself to sweeten the deal.
Photo: Tiriac Foundation
The billionaire promised Romanian Olympic athletes free cars for any medal they won. Even though the athletes returned with 22 medals, he kept his word. Those who won gold, including swimming prodigy David Popovici, received a Hyundai Ioniq 5.
The silver medal winners received a Hyundai Kona Hybrid, while the bronze medal winners received a Hyundai Bayon, which is a crossover Off-road which is smaller than the Kona. All vehicles have been wrapped in a special color scheme to make them stand out on the road.
The champions received their new whips at the Tiriac Collection, one of the world's largest collections of supercars, hypercars, classic cars, one-offs and motorcycles. In early 2024, Auto Trader named the Tiriac Collection the third best car museum in the world and classified it as a must-see. In a huge climate-controlled and protected “garage” reside vehicles that were once driven by Sir Elton John or Bernie Ecclestone.
The fun doesn’t stop there, though. Toyota is also planning to give away free cars to medalists at the Paris Olympics. The automaker didn’t specify which models would be given away.
Ultimately, this should inspire a new generation of aspiring athletes to keep pushing. Glory (plus awards and sponsorships) is not far away!