An Olympian sees a gold medal as the ultimate, most valuable prize, but certainly not for its monetary value.
A gold medal is actually worth about $548, USA Today reports.
The award is only about 1 percent pure gold. It weighs about 531 grams, of which 6 grams are gold. The other 525 grams are silver.
Of course, gold medals symbolize impressive achievements, so the honor is still priceless. Some countries also offer lavish bonuses to their most outstanding athletes. Kazakhstan tops the list, with gold medalists receiving upward of $250,000. Italy gives a hefty $189,800, Russia $113,200 and Switzerland $88,600, while the U.S. and Canada compensate their winners with $25,000 or less.
Ironically enough, Norway, the Olympics’ overall medal leader, offers no sum at all.
Photo via Twitter/@Joe_McDonald
