Athletes who took part in the Beijing Olympics will now receive cash rewards instead of prize cars.
This change arises because foreign car manufacturers cannot supply the required number of vehicles to Russian competitors in the current climate, according to Match TV. The Olympians Support Fund confirmed the decision to RBC, outlining the scale of the cash grants planned for the champions and prizewinners of the XXIV Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. The fund noted that the payments will be on par with state-issued sums, and that no statements could be made about foreign car producers at this time.
Additionally, the recipients will continue to receive the previously established payments from the Government of the Russian Federation: 4 million rubles for a gold medal, 2.5 million rubles for silver, and 1.7 million rubles for bronze.
Beijing 2022 will be remembered as the Olympic Games that culminated in a notable close with fireworks at the National Stadium once known as the Bird’s Nest. A long-standing tradition of awarding high-quality foreign cars to Olympians has been part of the Olympians Support Fund since 2006. In the early years, brands such as Lexus, BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz were awarded, with BMW reappearing in 2016 and maintaining a special Olympic status for a period before shifting back to Russian-made vehicles. The gift pool typically included more than a hundred cars. For example, in 2018 the total value of BMW X6, X5, and X4 crossovers prepared for winter athletes in Pyeongchang ranged between 200 and 300 million rubles. In 2020, Tokyo gold medalists received a BMW X5 and prizewinners a BMW X3.
During the 2022 Games in China, held from February 4 to 20, the team secured 32 medals: 6 gold, 12 silver, and 14 bronze. Predictions suggested that athletes might still be awarded vehicles from the Bavarian brand this year, though the situation evolved with the new cash approach. In early March 2022 BMW announced it would suspend vehicle assembly with its Russian partner, the Avtotor plant in Kaliningrad. The broader logistics and decisions around sponsorship and gifts were discussed in various channels, including Viber, where updates could be tracked.
- BMW halted assembly with the Russian partner, affecting the usual car gift program.
- Updates and commentary could be followed through Viber channels.