[Omah]

Originally Posted by lostalex

only in soccer(football), tennis, and basketball do you really see REAL professionals though.

Although the IOC allowed for athlete compensation in 1971, all U.S. athletes still had to be of amateur status to compete on the United States Olympic team until 1978. Athletes from the United States found it difficult to compete at the Olympic Games against athletes from eastern nations who were sponsored by their governments and able to train full-time. In 1978, the United States adopted the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, allowing athletes on the U.S. Olympic team to receive financial awards, sponsorship, and payments for the first time. A revision of the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act in 1998 expanded athletic eligibility and representation further to include the Paralympics Games and increased athlete representation.

Corporate Sponsors

Since the elimination of amateurism in the Olympic Games, athletes are often funded to train through corporate sponsors and endorsement deals.

Read more: Olympic Athletes — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/spot/olymp...#ixzz1vVDV5qZA