Another question (please excuse my ignorance), would a guy like steven lopez have made much/any money out of tkd? Does he get paid any sort of appearance fee to show up to tournaments like golfers? I imagine life after competitive tkd would hold lots of opportunities for him but while still competing is there anything financial in it for him? Also, how famous is he? for example, when he shows up to tournaments do all the kids try to get his autograph or get a photo with him?
Every time I see him at tourneys he seems to be signing and taking photos for free.
That is true. However in other countries they get paid by their government. I heard that if you win Worlds or the Olympics in Korea you are set for life pretty much. Also in a lot of the other countries you are pretty much a celeb if you place in the Olympics. Just in the US it does not pan out. Chinas Olympic winners are millionaires.
Even here in australia the A.I.S (australian institute of sport) provides funding to our top olympic tkd hopefuls and they would be set if they won olympic gold, but then aussies have an incredible love of sport . It would be short lived but they could reap some good dollars in the meantime. I remember when lauren burns won tkd gold in the sydney olympics she was all over everything there for a while, everytime I turned the tv on she was a guest on some show. She was a tkd commentator at the last olympics from memory. Also, great picture of the kids with steven lopez!
