Russia Wants Its Olympic Medalists To Ride In Style

Sofya Velikaya won a gold and silver for Russia in fencing. (Getty Images / Yekaterina Shtukina)

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.