Icing on the cake: What top U.S. Olympians earned in bonus money

ByDARREN ROVELL
August 26, 2016, 2:51 PM

— -- Our American Olympians have come back from Rio with a haul of 121 medals, the most ever for the U.S. (excluding 1984, when the Soviet Union boycotted the Los Angeles Games). While endorsements will be picked up by some medal winners, others -- including swimmers Katie Ledecky, Simone Manuel and Ryan Murphy -- can't accept corporate sponsorships because they are still competing in college. All the medal winners, however, can take bonuses from the U.S. Olympic Committee as well as ?from their sport federations.

The USOC pays $25,000 for each gold, $15,000 per silver and $10,000 per bronze. Sports federations can pay on top of that, though neither USA Gymnastics nor USA Swimming has publicly disclosed what its bonuses will be. The largest disclosed bonus comes from USA Wrestling. In 2009, the group announced a privately funded prize fund that awards $250,000 for a gold medal.

Without knowing swimming and gymnastics federation bonuses, here's what we know the top U.S. medalists from Rio will collect.

$275,000 each - Kyle Snyder and Helen Maroulis, wrestling: Snyder, who wrestles at Ohio State, and Maroulis, who won the 53kg class, each won a gold medal and will take home $250,000 from USA Wrestling's Living The Dream Fund and the $25,000 USOC bonus.

$140,000 -?Michael Phelps, swimming: The most decorated Olympian of all time picked up the most medals of any athlete at these Games. Five golds and one silver add up to a $140,000 bonus from the USOC.

$115,000 - Katie Ledecky, swimming: After dominating in the pool, Ledecky can take the bonus for her four golds and one silver and still be eligible at Stanford.

$110,000 - Simone Biles, gymnastics: Biles won the most important medal for endorsements, the individual all-around, and the U.S. women won team gold. With the endorsement money Biles will make, her bonuses from four golds and a bronze might seem like pocket change.

$89,167 - Allyson Felix, track: Felix famously finished with a silver in the 400 meters, having been beaten out by a dive. She also picked up two Rio relay golds, giving her nine career medals and making her the most decorated female track and field Olympian of all time. USA Track & Field awards $15,000 for an individual silver and $25,000 for a relay gold to be divided equally among each athlete who ran at least one round (the U.S. used six different runners in the 4x400 relay, including the qualifying heat, and five runners in the 4x100). That gives Felix $24,167 on top of $65,000 from the USOC.

$80,000 - Simone Manuel, swimming: Like Ledecky, Manuel swims at Stanford, so her bonus from two golds and two silvers goes a long way.

$75,000 - Ryan Murphy, swimming: The 21-year-old backstroke specialist finished in Rio with three golds. He's not eligible to take marketing cash because he is swimming for Cal.

$70,000 - Nathan Adrian, swimming: Two golds and two bronze medals was the haul for Adrian, who swims freestyle and helped bring Phelps his final gold in the 4x100 medley relay.

$55,000 - Aly Raisman, gymnastics: Raisman got her second team gold as a captain and added two silvers in the individual events. History suggests that, even at just 21, she doesn't have another Olympics in her. Her ability to capitalize on endorsement deals will depend on whether corporate America believes she will be back for Japan in 2020.