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Why the greatest athletes don't get paid like it
The Olympic decathlon crowns the ‘world’s greatest athlete.’ But you’d never know it from the salaries.
Decathletes vying for the title of world’s greatest athlete must stave off physical and mental exhaustion to master sprints, hurdles, long distance running, throws, and jumps while balancing one of the trickiest skills of all: trying to hang on financially. It gained legendary status in modern times at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics when Jim Thorpe dominated the decathlon so thoroughly that Swedish King Gustaf V greeted him from his royal box and reportedly said, “You, sir, are the most wonderful athlete in the world.” While well-known Olympians like Katie Ledecky and Sha'Carri Richardson earn millions through endorsements, there’s less support for the athletic middle class — unheralded newcomers starting out their professional careers after college and veterans who haven’t medaled and are aiming to improve for an Olympic berth.
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