I think you have a different idea about what a reward is than athletes do. Being among the best athletes in the world, and being able to just perform their favorite sport is probably the reward to them, otherwise they wouldn't have made it there anyway.
For the same reason a techie might work for a low bug bounty. Or go to a hack-a-thon. Neither pays well, relative to time invested, but the experience itself has value. And there is the prestige earned, which may translate into future earnings. For an athlete, those future earnings could come in the form of future coaching opportunities, etc.
That, and world class athletes are just wired differently than you or me. In addition to the obvious physical gifts, they must share some of the personality traits with politicians and executives - incredible competitiveness, large ego, etc.
> That aside honestly I don't see why anyone would bother to even do it for such low pay.
Aren't athletes routinely given room, board, gear, and free coaching from their governments? Aren't many events mainly for upper-class types anyway (events with horses or expensive winter gear, for example)?
If making a living isn't a concern, prestige is a really nice job perk.
Yeah its not like they are inventing or discovering new science to help humanity. Its just low brow entertainment plus a small benefit for almamacs if you spin it as record breaking.
Im sure coaching / private lessons pay a lot more. Fuck the prestige, its just ego boosting with vampire scum sucker execs really winning anyhow.
"Reward" doesn't always equal money. Yes, of course, receiving money for what one does allows comfortable living, but there are plenty of professions and things people do that are not centered around accumulating money.
Being in the Olympics sound prestigious but I wouldn’t bother putting the effort for such low rewards.