Olympics - Paris 2024

[Lord Tyrion]

And is someone who receives lottery funding a professional?

If that's all you do and you are getting paid to do it, then yes.

If we rule out professionals then athletics, swimming and cycling are gone for starters. @rulefan has nailed it in the post above.

 

[Mandofred]

How many Olympic sports are there where there are no professional competitors?

I'd say none, or close to it.

 

[sunshine]

I'd say none, or close to it.

The reality is the only reasons Olympic athletes aren’t professional is because their sport is very niche and has no followers or they are not good enough

 

[Voyager EMH]

The reality is the only reasons Olympic athletes aren’t professional is because their sport is very niche and has no followers or they are not good enough

I don't think weightlifters can earn very much from their sport. But this is one of the best Olympic disciplines, in my opinion.
Not niche, not short of followers and all competitors are very good athletes.

Body builders' events are more lucrative. But no place in the Olympics ever please for that nonsense.

 

[sunshine]

I don't think weightlifters can earn very much from their sport. But this is one of the best Olympic disciplines, in my opinion.
Not niche, not short of followers and all competitors are very good athletes.

Body builders' events are more lucrative. But no place in the Olympics ever please for that nonsense.

If an event is entertaining, people will pay money to watch it. The more entertaining, the more popular, the more money. It’s quite a simple equation.

 

[Swango1980]

I don't think weightlifters can earn very much from their sport. But this is one of the best Olympic disciplines, in my opinion.
Not niche, not short of followers and all competitors are very good athletes.

Body builders' events are more lucrative. But no place in the Olympics ever please for that nonsense.

Awful spectator sport though

 

[Mandofred]

The reality is the only reasons Olympic athletes aren’t professional is because their sport is very niche and has no followers or they are not good enough

Professional sports person. Getting money in some way to partake in their sport. That.....is pretty well everybody at a high level. Who in the Olympics do you think doesn't get money for taking part in their sport?

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Professional sports person. Getting money in some way to partake in their sport. That.....is pretty well everybody at a high level. Who in the Olympics do you think doesn't get money for taking part in their sport?

Many people in the GB are “funded” to allow them to train for their sports whilst also working a main stream job

 

[Voyager EMH]

If an event is entertaining, people will pay money to watch it. The more entertaining, the more popular, the more money. It’s quite a simple equation.

Which means that the non-professional weightlifters are to be admired as "Olympians" as they are not making money from it.

I find weightlifting to be much more entertaining as a spectator sport than darts. And I don't mind at all being in a minority with regards to that.
No darts in the Olympics ever, please.

 

[Mandofred]

Many people in the GB are “funded” to allow them to train for their sports whilst also working a main stream job

Yes.....as professional athletes do. Equipment, stipend, etc. Not sure what point you are trying to make. A lot of other countries as well do the same thing.....most I would think. In your mind, does "funded" mean they are not professional?

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Yes.....as professional athletes do. Equipment, stipend, etc. Not sure what point you are trying to make. A lot of other countries as well do the same thing.....most I would think. In your mind, does "funded" mean they are not professional?

They don’t get “paid” to play the sport


Some get paid to do other jobs but have funding to help them go to training camps etc

For example there are a number of GB hockey players that work a full time job but to allow them to train full time and compete in Olympics they are given funded to help them supplement earnings to enable them to take time off from work to compete

They are not professional sportsmen or women who are under contract or are paid to play a sport

 

[Mandofred]

They don’t get “paid” to play the sport


Some get paid to do other jobs but have funding to help them go to training camps etc

For example there are a number of GB hockey players that work a full time job but to allow them to train full time and compete in Olympics they are given funded to help them supplement earnings to enable them to take time off from work to compete

They are not professional sportsmen or women who are under contract or are paid to play A professional athlete is someone who is paid for their performance. Everything you have stated.....makes them a professional athlete. A "bad" athlete does not get these benefits. Someone who is "only" paid £20,000 from Lotto etc......is a paid athlete.

Huh? If you get money in "funding"....that's not paid? Only if you are a full time athlete with no other source of income....you are a professional? Your way of thinking is....different. Please look up the definition of what a professional is. Payment for performance. Please list all the hockey players that "suck" who are funded.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Huh? If you get money in "funding"....that's not paid? Only if you are a full time athlete with no other source of income....you are a professional? Your way of thinking is....different. Please look up the definition of what a professional is. Payment for performance. Please list all the hockey players that "suck" who are funded.

Hockey players that “suck”

I know a number of Olympians that are also in the military - they have funding for travel etc , they aren’t professional athletes, they work jobs for a living

 

[Mandofred]

Hockey players that “suck”

I know a number of Olympians that are also in the military - they have funding for travel etc , they aren’t professional athletes, they work jobs for a living

Please look up the definition of professional athlete.....it is really easy to do. Your definition is different than.....what is real.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Please look up the definition of professional athlete.....it is really easy to do. Your definition is different than.....what is real.

I’m giving you actual real situations of people that compete in the Olympics and have worked with people that compete in the Olympics - they now get no funding until the next cycle starts

 

[Mandofred]

I’m giving you actual real situations of people that compete in the Olympics and have worked with people that compete in the Olympics - they now get no funding until the next cycle start

You keep avoiding the point. Did you look up the definition of what a professional athlete is? Is someone who receives money from "funding" or other sources a professional athlete? I get it....I think. In YOUR mind, people who only get a smaller amount of money and can't do ONLY that are not professionals. But.....people who get money because they are good at something....are professionals. If a golfer goes to a tournament and places just well enough to make a "little" bit of money....are they a professional? The answer is yes. Amateurs are not allowed to make much money at all. The limit by R&A is £700 for a scratch comp if I've read the info correctly. The days of amateur olympic athletes is long gone.....

 

[Pin-seeker]

Hockey players that “suck”

I know a number of Olympians that are also in the military - they have funding for travel etc , they aren’t professional athletes, they work jobs for a living

Tbf they did

 

[Arthur Wedge]

You keep avoiding the point. Did you look up the definition of what a professional athlete is? Is someone who receives money from "funding" or other sources a professional athlete? I get it....I think. In YOUR mind, people who only get a smaller amount of money and can't do ONLY that are not professionals. But.....people who get money because they are good at something....are professionals. If a golfer goes to a tournament and places just well enough to make a "little" bit of money....are they a professional? The answer is yes. Amateurs are not allowed to make much money at all. The limit by R&A is £700 for a scratch comp if I've read the info correctly. The days of amateur olympic athletes is long gone.....

There are multiple examples of Olympians within GB that are professional - doctors , nurses , lawyers , fireman , policeman , military - they get a level of funding to pay for travel , accommodation, clothing

Are they “professional sportsmen” or professional doctors , nurses etc

Not everyone fits inside a “dictionary definition”

There are people with cycling , swimming etc where someone is “paid” by GB cycling or GB swimming and have no other job and are professional sportsmen/women etc

If someone who only plays golf to earn money then he is a professional golfer

 

[Mandofred]

There are multiple examples of Olympians within GB that are professional - doctors , nurses , lawyers , fireman , policeman , military - they get a level of funding to pay for travel , accommodation, clothing

Are they “professional sportsmen” or professional doctors , nurses etc

Not everyone fits inside a “dictionary definition”

There are people with cycling , swimming etc where someone is “paid” by GB cycling or GB swimming and have no other job and are professional sportsmen/women etc

If someone who only plays golf to earn money then he is a professional golfer

Well, it took quite a while....but you finally kind of answered my question. In your opinion, a professional is someone who basically makes their living from participating in that sport/activity. Someone who "only" makes £20-30K from their sport is not a professional since they would have to have another job to make ends meet.

Someone who makes more than £700 in a golf tournament is a professional.....by the R&A rules. Those aren't my rules.....I didn't make them up.

 

[D-S]

So Joe Dean the European Tour player who also works part time as a delivery driver is not a professional golfer?