People often wonder what it would be like to represent one?s country at the Olympic Games. Athletes who have played for their countries know the honors associated with it. But it is a significant honor to win medals for their county at such a prominent meet.

However, winning gold, silver, or bronze at such a prestigious meet is difficult. As a result, some countries provide incentives to their athletes who win such monumental events.

How much does the US pay its position holders in the Olympic Games?

The US is a strong contender in the medal table at all Olympic meets. As such, the country provides its athletes with medal bonuses. However, this amount is nowhere near what some countries paid their athletes during the Beijing Winter Olympics.

As per reports, Team USA?paid?$37,500 for every gold medal, $22,500 for silver, and $15,000 for bronze during the Beijing Winter Olympics. It is not a bad sum for prize money, but this amount does not even place them among the top 20 countries.

Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports

Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports

READ MORE- ?Deeply Personal to Me?- Nathan Chen Gives an Exciting Update on His Post Golden Victory Plans

The US ranked 22nd on the list of top 30 countries that had provided incentives to their athletes bringing in medals for their home at the Beijing Olympic Games. Hong Kong topped the list at the Beijing Winter Games, announcing a payment of $642,000 to every gold winner representing them at the meet.

The amount assigned by Hong Kong is, by far, the most any country fixed as a bonus. Next on the list was Turkey, with a $380,000 bonus for each gold medal won by an athlete. This amount is almost half that allotted by Hong Kong.

These are hypothetical scenarios as none of the two countries have ever won an event at the Winter Olympics. But there are still 19 countries ahead of the US offering more for each medal. After Hong Kong and Turkey, countries like Malaysia and Italy are leading the list with $238,000 and $201,000 respectively for each gold medal.

Counties offering better incentives to their athletes than the US

Numerous smaller countries have also made their way to the top 10 in the list. These countries are Cyprus, Latvia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Lithuania, and Kosovo. However, countries like Australia and Canada found themselves at the bottom of the list.

At the Beijing Winter Olympics, the US had the largest delegation at 224 athletes, while Canada came second on this list with 217 athletes. Most countries had fewer athletes at the meet, with some bringing in as few as one athlete.

DIVE DEEPER- ?He Taught Me All My Tricks?- Resurfaced Video Shows a Young Shaun White Honing His Snowboarding Skills

Therefore, maybe the number of athletes competing at the meet plays a direct role in the bonus allotted for every medal.