People are thankful the Olympics is still able to bring people together on the world’s largest stage
One picture from the 2024 Paris Olympics has moved people all around the world as it managed to show how conflicting nations can somehow find unity.
The Olympics is meant to be a great time for the nations of the world to come together in compete on the biggest stage for one of the biggest honors in their respective sports.
Occasionally people forget that, but thankfully one picture is going viral on social media and highlighting the spirit of international cooperation and good fun.
If you were to list the first two countries that would hug it out and smile for a picture together on the podium, I’d wager a North Korean athlete and a South Korean would be far down your list.
But it seems the world was privileged enough to see this historic moment after the mixed table tennis doubles:
China’s team took away the gold medal, with North Korea coming in second with silver and South Korea third with bronze.
On the podium, North Korea’s Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong, South’s Shin Yu-bin and the victorious Chinese team Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha all smiled for a selfie.
This is quite the moment since earlier this year, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un declared South its principal enemy and would no longer seek peaceful reunification.
On Twitter, people have highlighted just how monumental a moment this is.
China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha (centre), North Korea’s Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong (left), and South Korea’s Lim Jonghoon and Shin Yu-bin (right). (Yao Yingkang/Zhejiang Daily/VCG via Getty Images)
People have praised the teams for the historic selfie. (Zhao Wenyu/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
One user wrote: “These might just be the most significant photos from the @Paris2024 Olympics.
“North & South Korea coming together, with China, for a group selfie after the table tennis mixed doubles finals. A praiseworthy moment of sportsmanship, friendship & peace!
“What a fantastic gesture from North Korea athletes: before receiving silver medal, they step down from the podium and go round to salute expressively the South Korea athletes who got bronze medal,” another wrote about their overall attitude towards each other.
“This is the Olympics, this is the Olympic spirit. I hope the young people enjoy it,” a third wrote.
“This is why the Olympic are so important. It warms my heart. I would love to see this selfie,” another commented.
Ri Jong Sik and Kum Yong Kim with their silver medals. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
The Olympics allows interactions between North and South Koreans as both nations, who are technically still at war with one another.
In recent months, tensions have still been high between the two nations.
In what seems to be quite the petty act, North Korea has dropped at least 260 balloons carrying rubbish in the South.
Stunning amount athletes are being paid at Olympics for getting a gold medal
Dozens of countries offer their Olympic athletes big bonuses for taking the top spot
The Olympics is well and truly underway with dozens of medals already secured, but an impressive chunk of gold isn’t always the only thing the winners get their hands on.
Japan is currently leading the way in gold medals, with a total of six won since the Olympics began last week. They’re followed closely by France, People’s Republic of China, Australia, and Republic of Korea, which all have five gold medals at the time of writing (30 July).
Securing a medal is a huge accomplishment in itself, and as a result athletes do not receive any financial rewards from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
However, at least 33 of the 206 competing countries offer bonuses to the athletes who manage to secure the top spot on the podium, according to Forbes, and 15 of those offer more than $100,000 – meaning it’s no small change.
Spain
Spain offers athletes $102,000 for coming in first place, though athletes in team sports receive less depending on the number of people taking part.
Forbes reports that teams of two earn approximately $82,000 for a gold medal, while groups of three or more receive about $54,000 each.
Spain are yet to secure any gold medals. (Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Ukraine
Ukraine is yet to win any gold medals at the Olympics, but any athletes who take the top spot will be awarded a bonus of $125,000.
Italy
Italy currently has two gold medals, for which its athletes will receive a bonus of
$196,000 for.
The country also offers bonuses for silver and bronze medals, amounting to $98,000 and $65,000, respectively.
Nicolo Martinenghi won a gold medal for Italy. (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Hong Kong
Competing independently of China at the games, Hong Kong offers its gold medal-holding athletes the biggest bonus of any country, handing out $768,000 for a gold medal.
It’s not surprising that bonuses then continue for second and third place, but the country also offers cash for its athletes in fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh or even eighth place.
Athletes who come in fourth can earn nearly $100,000 – almost as much as Spain offers for a gold medal – while fifth through eighth place earn almost $50,000.
American athletes receive almost $40,000 for gold medals. (Steve Christo – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
United States
The US is not one of the countries that offers athletes a bonus higher than $100,000, but winners don’t walk away empty handed.
The country has so far secured three gold medals in the games; two in swimming and one in fencing.
They were won by fencer Lee Kiefer, swimmer Torri Huske, and the Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay team; Jack Alexy, Chris Guiliano, Hunter Armstrong, and Caeleb Dressel.
To celebrate their win, each American athlete with a gold medal will receive a bonus of $37,500 from the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee.
Other countries which offer bonuses of more than $100,000:
Israel: $275,000
Serbia: $218,000
Malaysia: $214,000
Lithuania: $182,000
Moldova: $171,000
Latvia: $155,000
Hungary: $154,000
Bulgaria: $139,000
Kosovo: $120,000
Estonia: $109,000
Czech Republic: $103,000
Now all athletes have to do is win those medals… it shouldn’t be too hard, right?
Featured Image Credit: Getty/Aric Becker/ISI Photos/Getty/Anadolu