|
|
|---|
Showing posts with label Winter Olympics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Winter Olympics. Show all posts
Top-earning athletes of the 2010 Winter Olympics
Top-earning athletes of the 2010 Winter Olympics
Shaun White of United States, who made US$7.5-million last year, explains a snowboarding trick at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
Last February energy-drink maker Red Bull built U.S. snowboarder Shaun White his own half-million-dollar half-pipe in the back country of Silverton, Colo.-- so remote he needs a helicopter to shuttle him there. It was here where White invented the most dangerous trick in his repertoire: the double McTwist 1260, an inverted aerial in which he launches himself up off the side of a snow-packed embankment and flips head over heels twice while spinning three and a half times and holding his board.
The move helped him win gold in January at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo., and padded his status as an action sport superstar. He also padded his wallet with US$40,000 in prize money. But compared to what he earns from sponsors, that was pocket change. Last year 23-year-old White pocketed US$7.5-million from the likes of snowboard-maker Burton, Red Bull, Target, goggle-maker Oakley, game-maker Ubisoft and AT&T, making him one of the highest-earning athletes appearing at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Sharing that top honour is South Korea's Kim Yu-Na, who is also making top dollar for her dynamic aerial skills -- but on ice skates. Last year her triple-triple combination jumps helped her earn the titles of World Champion, Grand Prix Final Champion and Four Continents Champion, and brought her nearly US$150,000 in prize money. They also helped the 19-year-old become a marketing darling in her home country, where she earned US$7.5 million from sponsors like Hyundai Motor, Kookmin Bank, Nike, Procter & Gamble, to name just a few. Her Samsung Electronics "Yu-Na Haptic" style phone, launched in May of last year, broke a company record in December when unit sales broke the 1 million mark in less than seven months.
Our list of the highest-earning athletes of the Winter Olympic looks at earnings derived from prize money, endorsements, licensing income and bonuses for the 2009 calendar year and does not deduct for taxes or agents' fees. All salaried professional athletes, specifically National Hockey League players, were excluded from the list.
In terms of earning potential, White and Yu-Na are typical Olympic athletes. They are dependent on sponsors, rather than competition prize money, to make a living in their sport. But the recent economic downturn has made it harder to turn gold medals into cash. Already at a disadvantage compared to most of their Summer Olympic siblings whose sports are more popular and marketable (think swimming's Michael Phelps or gymnastics' Mary Lou Retton), many Winter Olympian hopefuls have struggled with the loss of sponsors leading to the 2010 Vancouver games. Even White lost deals with American Express and Hewlett-Packard.
No Olympic hopefuls' struggles have been more public than the U.S. speedskating team. Its ability to even pay for practice ice time were put in serious peril in October when it lost its sponsor Dutch Bank DSB, who had a four-year agreement worth US$350,000 a year, including US$50,000 for athlete performances. An unlikely lifeline came from Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert, who raised US$300,000 in donations online and whose Colbert Nation became the team's official primary sponsor for the upcoming games. But the financial crisis the team faces is a problem that goes beyond just the Olympics. With no major sponsor lined up for next year, the team's growth is in jeopardy.
Five-time Olympic medalist in short-track speed skating (and 2007 Dancing With the Stars champion) Apolo Anton Ohno has helped himself by negotiating his own marketing deals outside his team. For his efforts the 27-year-old ranks No. 5 on our list, having earned US$1.5 million last year through endorsements with Coca-Cola, AT&T, Alaska Airlines and Procter & Gamble. His most recent endorsement with Nestle has paired him in an advertising campaign with 2008 Beijing Olympic gold medal gymnast, Shawn Johnson.
Skiers, too, felt the economic pinch. Equipment supplier Rossignol asked its athletes to take a 50% reduction in their agreed-upon income, a move it said was necessary to stay afloat during the economic crisis. It prompted American Lindsey Vonn, two-time World Cup overall champion, to switch to equipment maker Head in a deal that lasts through 2014. Combined with her sponsorships from Red Bull, Under Armour, Procter & Gamble and recent addition Rolex, Vonn earned US$2.5 million last year and another US$350,000 in prize money, making her No. 3 on our list of highest-earning Winter Olympians.
Then there is prolific and capricious skier Bode Miller, who recently rejoined the U.S. ski team and qualified for his third Olympics. He earned US$1.3 million last year from sponsors, including Nike, Head and Superfund, and in prize money on the World Cup circuit to rank No. 6 on our list. His way to deal with lagging sponsorship for Winter Olympians? Go after the Summer Olympians' money. The 32-year-old recently announced he intends to compete in the U.S. Tennis Association's newly created national playoff tournament in hopes of landing a spot in the U.S. Open in August.
Sharing that top honour is South Korea's Kim Yu-Na, who is also making top dollar for her dynamic aerial skills -- but on ice skates. Last year her triple-triple combination jumps helped her earn the titles of World Champion, Grand Prix Final Champion and Four Continents Champion, and brought her nearly US$150,000 in prize money. They also helped the 19-year-old become a marketing darling in her home country, where she earned US$7.5 million from sponsors like Hyundai Motor, Kookmin Bank, Nike, Procter & Gamble, to name just a few. Her Samsung Electronics "Yu-Na Haptic" style phone, launched in May of last year, broke a company record in December when unit sales broke the 1 million mark in less than seven months.
Our list of the highest-earning athletes of the Winter Olympic looks at earnings derived from prize money, endorsements, licensing income and bonuses for the 2009 calendar year and does not deduct for taxes or agents' fees. All salaried professional athletes, specifically National Hockey League players, were excluded from the list.
In terms of earning potential, White and Yu-Na are typical Olympic athletes. They are dependent on sponsors, rather than competition prize money, to make a living in their sport. But the recent economic downturn has made it harder to turn gold medals into cash. Already at a disadvantage compared to most of their Summer Olympic siblings whose sports are more popular and marketable (think swimming's Michael Phelps or gymnastics' Mary Lou Retton), many Winter Olympian hopefuls have struggled with the loss of sponsors leading to the 2010 Vancouver games. Even White lost deals with American Express and Hewlett-Packard.
No Olympic hopefuls' struggles have been more public than the U.S. speedskating team. Its ability to even pay for practice ice time were put in serious peril in October when it lost its sponsor Dutch Bank DSB, who had a four-year agreement worth US$350,000 a year, including US$50,000 for athlete performances. An unlikely lifeline came from Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert, who raised US$300,000 in donations online and whose Colbert Nation became the team's official primary sponsor for the upcoming games. But the financial crisis the team faces is a problem that goes beyond just the Olympics. With no major sponsor lined up for next year, the team's growth is in jeopardy.
Five-time Olympic medalist in short-track speed skating (and 2007 Dancing With the Stars champion) Apolo Anton Ohno has helped himself by negotiating his own marketing deals outside his team. For his efforts the 27-year-old ranks No. 5 on our list, having earned US$1.5 million last year through endorsements with Coca-Cola, AT&T, Alaska Airlines and Procter & Gamble. His most recent endorsement with Nestle has paired him in an advertising campaign with 2008 Beijing Olympic gold medal gymnast, Shawn Johnson.
Skiers, too, felt the economic pinch. Equipment supplier Rossignol asked its athletes to take a 50% reduction in their agreed-upon income, a move it said was necessary to stay afloat during the economic crisis. It prompted American Lindsey Vonn, two-time World Cup overall champion, to switch to equipment maker Head in a deal that lasts through 2014. Combined with her sponsorships from Red Bull, Under Armour, Procter & Gamble and recent addition Rolex, Vonn earned US$2.5 million last year and another US$350,000 in prize money, making her No. 3 on our list of highest-earning Winter Olympians.
Then there is prolific and capricious skier Bode Miller, who recently rejoined the U.S. ski team and qualified for his third Olympics. He earned US$1.3 million last year from sponsors, including Nike, Head and Superfund, and in prize money on the World Cup circuit to rank No. 6 on our list. His way to deal with lagging sponsorship for Winter Olympians? Go after the Summer Olympians' money. The 32-year-old recently announced he intends to compete in the U.S. Tennis Association's newly created national playoff tournament in hopes of landing a spot in the U.S. Open in August.
Lindsey Vonn addresses the media about her right leg injury
Lindsey Vonn is getting even more time to let her badly bruised right shin heal. Friday’s second women’s Olympic downhill training run has been canceled, again pushing back Vonn’s first chance to truly test her injured leg.
The American had decided Thursday to participate in the first downhill training session, but that was called off after only two racers.
She had been considered a medal contender in all five Alpine events, including an overwhelming favorite in the downhill. But that was before she revealed Wednesday that she was hurt last week in pre-Olympic practice.
Lindsey Vonn addresses the media about her right leg injury following the women's alpine skiing team press conference.Friday was to be the day before weather forced two delays, then scrapped the women’s session. The final men’s downhill training run Friday already had been canceled because of overnight rain. What had been planned as the women’s third and final training run remains set for Saturday ahead of Sunday’s first race, the super-combined.
Vonn actually did ski down a hill Thursday for the first time since getting hurt on Feb. 2, albeit only in a free run and not on the official course. That convinced her she was ready to take part in the opening women’s training session later Thursday, but that practice was called off after only two racers because of thick fog and low visibility.
“I was happy to be back on snow today,” Vonn said. “My shin was still very painful, but I feel like the injury is finally progressing a bit. I am always disappointed when a training run is canceled, but in this situation I definitely welcome the extra day to heal.”
U.S. Ski Team women’s coach Jim Tracy was optimistic. He knows full well her history of brushing aside injuries and pain—whether it was making the quick transition from hospital bed to starting gate after a horrific crash in downhill training at the 2006 Turin Olympics, or managing not to miss a single race after badly bruising her arm in December.
“We’re hoping that she’s going to go full-bore,” Tracy said. “We’re not talking about skipping any events. We’re on a normal program.”
And the ultimate decisions about how much to train and compete will be made by Vonn, not the team.
“I’m not going to tell her she can’t race. And I’m not going to tell her she has to race,” Tracy said. “It’s her health.”
Before her injury became known Wednesday, Vonn was widely considered to be a contender for perhaps three or four medals—and an overwhelming favorite to win golds in the downhill and super-G.
The outlook for Vonn evolved quite a bit in the 24 hours since the two-time World Cup overall champion raised the possibility of not being able to compete at all.
Vonn has been trying all manner of measures to speed the healing process since she banged her boot against her right leg in a headfirst tumble last week during training in Austria. She tried things as basic as stretching. She tried laser therapy. She even tried wrapping her leg with the Austrian curd cheese topfen to bring down the swelling.
On Thursday, she raised the bar, writing on her Twitter feed in the morning that she “took a bunch” of painkillers and “numbed my shin with some creams.”
Later in the day, Vonn posted on Facebook: “The pain level has gone down from a sharp debilitating pain to something that I feel I may be able to grit my teeth through.”
But as positive as Thursday’s test run on skis was, it’s not nearly as good an indication as an honest-to-goodness training run down the real course would be.
Olympic luger dies after crash
Olympic luger dies after crash
Olympic luger from the country of Georgia died Friday after a high-speed crash during training. IOC president Jacques Rogge said the death hours before the opening ceremony “clearly casts a shadow over these games.”
Nodar Kumaritashvili lost control of his sled, went over the track wall and struck an unpadded steel pole near the finish line at Whistler Sliding Center. Doctors were unable to revive the 21-year-old luger, who died at a hospital, the International Olympic Committee said.
Rescue workers were at his side within seconds, chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation started less than one minute after the crash, and he was quickly airlifted to a trauma center in Whistler.
Kumaritashvili struck the inside wall of the track on the final turn. His body immediately went airborne and cleared the ice-coated concrete wall along the left side of the sliding surface. His sled remained in the track, and it appeared his helmet visor skidded down the ice.
“It’s a very rare situation,” three-time Olympic champion and German coach Georg Hackl said before learning of the death and was clearly shaken moments after seeing Kumaritashvili tended to furiously by medical officials.
Olympic competition in men’s luge is scheduled to begin Saturday. It’s unclear if that schedule would be affected.
It was Kumaritashvili’s second crash during training for the Vancouver Games. He also failed to finish his second of six practice runs, and in the runs he did finish, his average speed was about 88 mph - significantly less than the speed the top sliders are managing on this lightning-fast course.
It was unclear how fast Kumaritashvili was going, although many sliders have exceeded 90 mph on this course. The track is considered the world’s fastest and several Olympians recently questioned its safety. More than a dozen athletes have crashed during Olympic training for luge, and some questioned whether athletes from smaller nations - like Georgia - had enough time to prepare for the daunting track.
At the finish area, not far from where Kumaritashvili lost control, athletes, coaches and officials solemnly awaited word on Kumaritashvili before eventually being ushered away. Access to the crash area was closed within about 30 minutes.
“I’ve never seen anything like that,” said Shiva Keshavan, a four-time Olympian from India.
The remainder of men’s training was canceled for the day, with VANOC officials saying in a release that an investigation was taking place to “ensure a safe field of play.”
Kumaritashvili competed in five World Cup races this season, finishing 44th in the world standings.
Earlier in the day, gold-medal favorite Armin Zoeggeler of Italy crashed, losing control of his sled on Curve 11. Zoeggeler came off his sled and held it with his left arm to keep it from smashing atop his body. He slid on his back down several curves before coming to a stop and walking away.
Training days in Whistler have been crash-filled. A Romanian woman was briefly knocked unconscious and at least four Americans - Chris Mazdzer on Wednesday, Megan Sweeney on Thursday and both Tony Benshoof and Bengt Walden on Friday in the same training session where Zoeggeler wrecked - have had serious trouble just getting down the track.
“I think they are pushing it a little too much,” Australia’s Hannah Campbell-Pegg said Thursday night after she nearly lost control in training. “To what extent are we just little lemmings that they just throw down a track and we’re crash-test dummies? I mean, this is our lives.”
At the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, Nicholas Bochatay of Switzerland died after crashing into a snow grooming machine during training for the demonstration sport of speed skiing on the next-to-last day of the games. He was practicing on a public slope before his event was to begin.
Austrian downhill skier Ross Milne died when he struck a tree during a training run shortly before the 1964 Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria. British luger Kazimierz Kay-Skrzypecki also died in a crash during training in Innsbruck.
At the 1988 Calgary Games, an Austrian team doctor, Jorg Oberhammer, died after being hit by a snow grooming machine.
Nodar Kumaritashvili lost control of his sled, went over the track wall and struck an unpadded steel pole near the finish line at Whistler Sliding Center. Doctors were unable to revive the 21-year-old luger, who died at a hospital, the International Olympic Committee said.
Rescue workers were at his side within seconds, chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation started less than one minute after the crash, and he was quickly airlifted to a trauma center in Whistler.
Kumaritashvili struck the inside wall of the track on the final turn. His body immediately went airborne and cleared the ice-coated concrete wall along the left side of the sliding surface. His sled remained in the track, and it appeared his helmet visor skidded down the ice.
“It’s a very rare situation,” three-time Olympic champion and German coach Georg Hackl said before learning of the death and was clearly shaken moments after seeing Kumaritashvili tended to furiously by medical officials.
Olympic competition in men’s luge is scheduled to begin Saturday. It’s unclear if that schedule would be affected.
It was Kumaritashvili’s second crash during training for the Vancouver Games. He also failed to finish his second of six practice runs, and in the runs he did finish, his average speed was about 88 mph - significantly less than the speed the top sliders are managing on this lightning-fast course.
It was unclear how fast Kumaritashvili was going, although many sliders have exceeded 90 mph on this course. The track is considered the world’s fastest and several Olympians recently questioned its safety. More than a dozen athletes have crashed during Olympic training for luge, and some questioned whether athletes from smaller nations - like Georgia - had enough time to prepare for the daunting track.
At the finish area, not far from where Kumaritashvili lost control, athletes, coaches and officials solemnly awaited word on Kumaritashvili before eventually being ushered away. Access to the crash area was closed within about 30 minutes.
“I’ve never seen anything like that,” said Shiva Keshavan, a four-time Olympian from India.
The remainder of men’s training was canceled for the day, with VANOC officials saying in a release that an investigation was taking place to “ensure a safe field of play.”
Kumaritashvili competed in five World Cup races this season, finishing 44th in the world standings.
Earlier in the day, gold-medal favorite Armin Zoeggeler of Italy crashed, losing control of his sled on Curve 11. Zoeggeler came off his sled and held it with his left arm to keep it from smashing atop his body. He slid on his back down several curves before coming to a stop and walking away.
Training days in Whistler have been crash-filled. A Romanian woman was briefly knocked unconscious and at least four Americans - Chris Mazdzer on Wednesday, Megan Sweeney on Thursday and both Tony Benshoof and Bengt Walden on Friday in the same training session where Zoeggeler wrecked - have had serious trouble just getting down the track.
“I think they are pushing it a little too much,” Australia’s Hannah Campbell-Pegg said Thursday night after she nearly lost control in training. “To what extent are we just little lemmings that they just throw down a track and we’re crash-test dummies? I mean, this is our lives.”
At the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, Nicholas Bochatay of Switzerland died after crashing into a snow grooming machine during training for the demonstration sport of speed skiing on the next-to-last day of the games. He was practicing on a public slope before his event was to begin.
Austrian downhill skier Ross Milne died when he struck a tree during a training run shortly before the 1964 Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria. British luger Kazimierz Kay-Skrzypecki also died in a crash during training in Innsbruck.
At the 1988 Calgary Games, an Austrian team doctor, Jorg Oberhammer, died after being hit by a snow grooming machine.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)