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Russia Wants Its Olympic Medalists To Ride In Style

In addition to monetary bonuses, Russian Olympic medalists picked up some new wheels

Tosten Burks
By Tosten BurksAug 27, 2016
Tosten Burks
Tosten Burks is a writer based in Los Angeles
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After surviving doping bans, revoked doping bans, and constant heckling from the crowds in Rio, Russia’s top Olympians finally caught a break this week. At a ceremony in Moscow on Thursday, the Kremlin announced it will give new BMWs to the country’s 56 medalists.

In addition to the cars, Russian Olympic medalists also earn cash rewards—$62,000 for gold, $39,000 for silver, and $26,000 for bronze. For comparison, the U.S. Olympic Committee pays gold medalists $25,000 and zero cars.

Despite the honor of receiving a crossover vehicle from President Putin himself, an unnamed athlete has already listed his Olympic-branded whip for sale. You can purchase it for 4.7 million rubles, around $72,000.

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