The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) has a program in place to reward athletes for their performance and success. The Athlete Excellence Fund (AEF) is a support and rewards program that offers Canadian athletes prizes for their achievements. To be eligible for the AEF, athletes must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, meet the requirements of their athlete contract, meet the eligibility requirements of the International Sports Federation in terms of citizenship and residency, and be available to represent Canada at major international events and meet the criteria for obtaining cards as members of the Canadian team at international or national events or events sanctioned by the NSO (National Sports Organization).The AEF rewards athletes who win gold, silver and bronze medals for the Canadian team. However, according to Forbes, Olympic winter medalists from countries such as Hong Kong, Turkey, Malaysia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Hungary, France, the United States, Germany and other countries earn more for finishing on the podium than their Canadian counterparts.
It is worth noting that while Canadian athletes are rewarded for their success, they still earn far less than Olympians from other countries. The COC's AEF is an important program that helps to recognize and reward Canadian athletes for their hard work and dedication.
