Medals at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will be more financially rewarding than ever before for German athletes, as drugstore chain Rossmann announced Wednesday that it wants to give them an additional prize.
These prizes will be added to the bonuses provided by the Stiftung Deutsche Sporthilfe, a German foundation for the promotion of sport. For first place at the Olympics, 20,000 euros will be awarded; for second place, 15,000 euros; and for third place, 10,000 euros.
The amounts are based on the payments already planned by Deutsche Sporthilfe, but with one difference. “If they win two medals, they will also receive the bonus twice! The teams will receive a lump sum of 100,000 euros per medal,” announced the Rossmann company itself.
“Top-level sport has to be worthwhile and it should not only be supported by the government, but also by us as a society! I hope that we can not only create an incentive for athletes, but also motivate other fans,” said Raoul Rossmann, spokesman for the company’s management.
During the recent Paris Olympics, several German athletes criticised the prize money in their country, calling it low. For example, swimmer Angelina Köhler, who came fourth in the 100-metre butterfly at Paris 2024, said: “I don’t think it’s right that people get 50,000 euros in the ‘House of Stars’ and athletes who win a gold medal at the Olympic Games only get 20,000 euros.”
