Yan Pengcheng (www.people.com.cn): We all know how fierce the competition is in the Olympic arena and how much an athlete needs to pay to make it to the podium. Around the world, we see Olympic medal winners awarded with all kinds of prizes, including cash. Olympic medals are important encouragement for a nation's spirit and provide glory for the whole country.

Large bonuses for Olympic medal winners must be handled properly, or it will result in negativity. Thus, there should be some differences in prizes.

If condemnation of medal bonuses are based on patriotism and the public's true concerns for the sound development of China's sports, that's one thing; but often, the condemnation is based on kind of psychological reaction to Olympic champions suddenly becoming millionaires. In order to justify their opinions, some argue wrongly that, "huge bonuses will impact social fairness and the Olympic Games will become all about money."

Opponents

Zhu Zhongbao (www.singpao.com): Olympic champions worked extremely hard for their success. Therefore, offering them prizes is necessary, but it goes too far when local governments hand over large material rewards.

Chinese athletes depend on the government for training, competition and travel costs. It is Chinese taxpayers who are responsible for their expenses. Without the state's help and the strong backup of public finance, it would be nearly impossible for them to become Olympic champions. It's unacceptable to first train them with taxpayers' money and then reward them with taxpayers' money too.

Zhang Bolun (www.yahoo.com): Olympic champions have worked very hard to achieve their success. It's okay to offer them material rewards and honor. However, the government's huge cash prizes for the athletes undoubtedly come from Chinese taxpayers. Is there any oversight on how the funds are operated? The answer is no. When the whole process is going on in the black box, scandals inevitably break out.

More importantly, we see Olympic champions become millionaires overnight while the whole nation's overall health situation is declining, faced with a shortage of ordinary sports and athletic facilities.

Under China's state-run sports system, the Chinese delegation easily took one gold medal after another at the London Olympic Games. However, China is far behind the target of developing into a strong sports power. Ordinary people's physical health is in decline, particularly students in primary and middle schools. Most sports facilities are not evenly spread out, and are mainly located in cities. The lack of exercise leads to a poor constitution of the whole nation. According to statistics issued by the State Council, 160 million people in China are suffering from high blood pressure, 160 million are suffering from hyperlipidemia and 200 million are overweight. About 75 percent of the nation's people are living in substandard health conditions. These statistics offer strong proof that while China is producing top athletes, it is by no means a real sports giant.

Wang Qi (www.sportscn.com): Many enterprises seek to get close to Olympic champions because of their celebrity effect. Meanwhile, some Olympic champions' families, coaches and leaders hope to capitalize on the opportunity. When both sides focus on money, the image and value of an Olympic champion will get lost.

The commercial madness of Olympic champions can at most sustain for two months. Businesses rush to sponsor champions immediately after the London Olympic Games, but as the public's love for Olympics cools down, these enterprises will turn to other celebrities.

In China, Olympic marketing booms once every four years, and only for a very short time. This trend will actually damage the country's sports industry in the long run.

After the London Olympic Games, China's Olympic champions are busy with all kinds of commercial activities. Celebrity endorsements are not an easy thing. Athletes need the guidance of their accountants' professional knowledge, but in China, athletes' money is often handled by their family members or team leaders. Connecting Olympic champions too much to money will damage their image among the public.

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