The first male Olympic gold medalist in the history of the Philippines was presented with a fully furnished condo worth $555,000 along with his medals
The gymnast from the Philippines, Carlos Yulo, made history as the country’s first male Olympic gold medalist when he won the top prize for his floor routine on August 3, 2024. He then achieved another milestone by becoming the country’s first two-time gold medalist after winning on the vault less than 24 hours later.
However, the 25-year-old gymnast didn’t just leave the summer Olympics with a couple of medals. He also won a fully furnished condo worth $550,000.
The Olympian was initially set to receive a condo worth $415,000 (24,000,000 Philippine pesos) in the heart of Taguig City, in metropolitan Manila, courtesy of the property developer Megaworld Corp.
However, due to Yulo’s double success, the company increased its promised reward to a three-bedroom condo worth $553,345 (32 million Philippine pesos).
The fully furnished apartment is located within the company’s 50-hectare McKinley Hill township, which it claims is home to “several world-class athletes, including members of the Philippine national teams for basketball and football.”
“This makes it an ideal home for Filipino champions who lead a life of passion and excellence throughout,” Megaworld president Lourdes T. Gutierrez-Alfonso said in the statement.
The company also gave Yulo $51,900 (3 million Philippine pesos) in cash.
More prizes: Ramen, restaurants, and colonoscopies for life
As if two gold medals and a condo weren’t sufficient, Yulo was inundated with even more gifts from proud Filipino businesses and leaders.
In addition to the $173,000 (10 million Philippine pesos) provided by the government to each gold medalist, the House of Representatives presented the champion with $103,700 (6 million Philippine pesos).
Meanwhile, the country’s capital city, Manila, where Yulo was born and raised, prepared a “hero’s welcome” for him.
“The grandest welcome will greet him and all our Paris Olympians. When we meet him, we will offer Carlos Yulo cash incentives, awards, and symbols of the eternal gratitude of the proud capital city of the Philippines,” the city’s former mayor, Honey Lacuna, told the media.
Also waiting for Yulo’s return were a lifetime supply of free buffets, [unspecified item], and chicken inasal, a grilled chicken dish, from various chain restaurants.
One doctor even pledged to provide [unspecified medical service] and gastroenterology consultations to the nation’s hero for life, but only after he turns 45.
The gymnast was also offered two free café franchises from [unspecified coffee and lemon drink business], as well as various brand ambassadorship opportunities.
Even those who share the same name as Yulo received the red-carpet treatment, with some [unspecified entities] offering free meals or drinks to anyone named Carlos, Caloy (his nickname), or Edriel (his middle name).
Wacky awards countries give their Olympic medalists
Perhaps not surprisingly, Yulo isn’t the first Olympic champion to receive some unusual rewards.
When Indonesian badminton athletes Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu returned home from Tokyo in 2021, the popular Indonesian meatball restaurant chain Baso Aci Abang gave the nation’s only gold medalists their own storefront.
Meanwhile, the island of Sulawesi, where Rahayu is from, promised her five cows and a house.
In South Korea, where all able-bodied men must serve in the armed forces for 18 months before age 28, medalists are exempt from military service.
Meanwhile, Russian Olympic medalists have been given racehorses, as well as premium cars, among other incentives. The 2016 medalists won BMW X5s.
However, unable to afford their upkeep, some were compelled to quickly sell their prizes.
A version of this story was originally published on [unspecified website] on August 6, 2024.