(LI SHIGONG)

Since the London Olympic Games came to an end, China's gold medalists have been collecting the fruits brought by their successful performances. Pricey awards offered by the government and businesses are outlandish, attracting attention among the public. Houses, cars and money are lavished upon China's star athletes, team officials and coaches. Being an Olympic medal winner—particularly, a gold medalist—seems to mean becoming a millionaire overnight. On August 21, the Municipal Government of Dongguan, south China's Guangdong Province, held a party for the Chinese badminton team, where the local government awarded the team 1 million yuan ($158,730) for their success in winning five gold medals at this year's Olympic Games.

The Beijing Municipal Government gave a cash prize of at least 1 million yuan to each gold medalist, while Guangdong's prize may be the most generous of all, with each Olympic champion receiving a cash reward of 5 million yuan ($793,650) plus a luxurious car.

It is estimated that each Olympic gold medalist receives an award worth around 5 million yuan, roughly 200 times a Chinese working-class family's annual income.

Some people oppose the lavish awards offered by the government, while some hold that these athletes achieve the success after years of hard work and they deserve to be rewarded. The following are excerpts of some opinions.

Supporters

Sea (www.focus.cn): Winning a gold medal in the Olympic Games is an athlete's life-long dream. Once he or she has attained a gold medal in the Olympics, it likely marks a turning point for their lives. Their road to the gold medal required them to pay so much in the form of physical and mental stress.

Even for athletes who have not earned gold medals, bonuses are still necessary. There are too many unexpected factors at play in the Olympic Games. As long as they have made their utmost effort—even if they come back without gaining any medals—material rewards are still deserved.

Jun Jiahui (www.163.com): Some people argue that since the government pays for the athletes' training, it's their obligation to win glory and respect, so extra bonuses are unnecessary. However, Olympic champions have their own reasons for personal success. They have worked very hard to be at the top of their individual sport, but even the medal bonuses they are offered may not be enough to buy a house in China's big cities.

It's fine to offer Olympic champions bonuses as long as the procedure is legal, because these athletes deserve to be respected. It's helpful to China's sports development.

Huang Yuetao (www.163.com): Even without the cash prizes, becoming an Olympic champion is still an athlete's biggest dream. They are priceless treasures for the country.

We know that movie stars can earn millions and even tens of millions for their performance in one movie, while athletes have to work very hard for several or even dozens of years to stand on the Olympic podium. In this sense, a medal bonus of a few million yuan is not that big at all.

Bai Zhibiao (www.163.com): All Olympic athletes should be awarded regardless of the outcome, though at different levels, of course. Although the Chinese National Women's Volleyball Team did not perform very well in the London Olympic Games, its sponsors still offered them cash prizes. This is an important incentive for the athletes.