Lin Yu-ting and Leon Marchand are among the top prize money earns at the Olympics
Lin Yu-ting and Leon Marchand are among the top prize money earns at the Olympics (Getty)

Olympic medal winners are returning home after a successful Games in Paris and some athletes have been welcomed back with huge prize money.

To the surprise of many, Great Britain were one of four nations alongside New Zealand, Sweden and Norway who did not offer prize money to athletes if they won a medal at the Olympics this summer.

But on the other end of the scale, Hong Kong led the way by handing out the most prize money as HK$6 million (£599,000) was awarded to any athlete who came away from Paris with a gold medal.

Cheung Ka-long and Vivian Kong Man-wai both won gold in fencing and top the prize money table of any athlete who competed in Paris.

In second place are the three athletes from Taiwan who won gold – Lin Yu-ting, Wang Chi-lin and Lee Yang – as they were handed NT$20 million (£481,000) for finishing top of the podium.

The Philippines’ new star gymnast, Carlos Yulo, is third in the table and is the highest prize money earner of any athlete who won more than one medal at the Olympics this summer.

PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 29: Cheung Ka Long of Hong Kong poses with gold medal after winning against Filippo Macchi (not seen) of Italy in the Men's Fencing Foil Individual Final on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Grand Palais in Paris, France on July 29, 2024. (Photo by Mustafa Ciftci/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Cheung Ka-long won £599,000 in prize money after winning gold for Hong Kong (Getty)
Carlos Yulo Edriel at the Men's Vault Medal Ceremony during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Bercy Arena in Paris, France
Carlos Yulo won the most prize money of any Olympic athlete who won more than one medal in Paris (Shutterstock)

The 24-year-old, who was born in Manila, has been awarded 20 million Philippine pesos (£273,000) for his two gold medals, plus an additional six million Philippine pesos (£82,000) as a gift from the House of Representatives.

Iran’s three gold medallists – Saeid Esmaeili Leivesi, Arian Salimi and Saravi Mohammadhadi – came fourth in the prize money table as they have each been awarded 18 billion tomans (£332,000) by their country.

MOST PRIZE MONEY WON AT 2024 OLYMPICS

1. Cheung Ka-long (Hong Kong) Fencing – £599,000 ($770,000)

Vivian Kong Man-wai (Hong Kong) Fencing – £599,000 ($770,000)

2. Lin Yu-ting (Taiwan/Chinese Tapei) Boxing – £481,000 ($619,000)

Wang Chi-lin (Taiwan/Chinese Tapei) Badminton – £481,000 ($619,000)

Lee Yang (Taiwan/Chinese Tapei) Badminton – £481,000 ($619,000)

3. Carlos Yulo (Philippines) Gymnastics – £355,000 ($351,358)

4. Saeid Esmaeili Leivesi (Iran) Wrestling – £332,000 ($428,000)

Arian Salimi (Iran) Taekwondo – £332,000 ($428,000)

Saravi Mohammadhadi (Iran) Wrestling – £332,000 ($428,000)

5. Leon Marchand (France) Swimming – £291,000 ($374,000)

6. Lasha Bekauri (Georgia) Judo – £289,000 ($371,793)

Geno Petriashvili (Georgia) Wrestling – £289,000 ($371,793)

Lasha Talakhadze (Georgia) Weightlifting – £289,000 ($371,793)

7. Rizki Juniansyah (Indonesia) Weightlifting – £248,000 ($318,000)

Veddriq Leonardo (Indonesia) Climbing – £248,000 ($318,000)

8. Tamara Csipes (Hungary) Canoe – £240,000 ($308,000)

9. Hatice Akbas (Turkey) Boxing – £235,000 ($303,000)

Buse Naz Cakiroglu (Turkey) Boxing – £235,000 ($303,000)

Yusuf Dikec (Turkey) Pistol shooting – £235,000 ($303,000)

Sevval Ilayda Tarhan (Turkey) Pistol shooting – £235,000 ($303,000)

10. Alice D’Amato (Italy) Gymnastics, one gold, one silver – £231,000 ($297,000)

    Leon Marchand – France’s poster boy for the Olympics – is the second-highest prize money earner of any athlete who won more than one medal this summer.

    The French swimmer picked up €80,000 (£68,500) for each of his four gold medals, plus an additional €20,000 (£17,000).

    In sixth place, Georgia’s trio of gold medal winners – Lasha Bekauri, Geno Petriashvili and Lasha Talakhadze – have each been given one million Georgian lari, which is approximately £289,000.

    In seventh spot are Rizki Juniansyah and Veddriq Leonardo, who both won gold medals for Indonesia and won five billion Indonesian rupiah (£248,000).

    Tamara Csipes of Hungary won two silver medals and a bronze in canoeing and takes eighth place in the prize money table. For each silver medal, Hungarian athletes were given HUF 39.27 million (£85,000), while a bronze medal is worth HUF 32.35 million (£70,000).

    There were four Turkish athletes who have shared ninth spot in the prize money table, including their viral pistol shooter Yusuf Dikec. For every silver medal, Turkey awarded their athletes 600 Turkish liras worth of Republic gold – a coin issued by the government, which is worth around £235,000.

    In tenth place is Italy’s star gymnast Alice D’Amato, who won one gold and one silver medal in Paris. For every gold medallist, Italy pays their athletes €180,000 (£154,000), while each silver is worth €90,000 (£77,000).

    For more stories like this, check our sport page.

    Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

    MORE : Raygun responds to ‘hateful’ abuse and allegations she manipulated Olympic selection process

    MORE : Team GB star completed Olympics marathon with broken leg: ‘Downhills were hell!’

    MORE : Team GB star Adam Peaty makes retirement decision after Paris Olympics