The award money is justifiable

The large sum awarded to winners serves as an incentive and motivation for competing athletes to push themselves to their limits and even beyond what may be thought was the boundary of human capability.

Many people play sports and are passionate about it. They are determined and work hard to improve their abilities and skills in their own sport. For example, there are many college football players who train yet only 17% can actually play professionally. Therefore, talent in a certain sport plays a significant role in distinguishing a player from the rest. Thus, it is rare to find a player who has discovered their passion and talent in a sport. At the professional level, top-notch players compete against one another, and it is an uphill task to further upgrade one’s skill sets when one seems to have mastered it already. An example would be Joseph Schooling who won a gold medal in 100-m butterfly race. At such a high level of play, Joseph Schooling beat Michael Phelps by a mere 0.19 seconds. Although it may not seem like much, considering their high level of skill, it is already a major achievement. Therefore, everyone was astonished when Joseph Schooling achieved the unprecedented timing. Hence, the large sum of award money is justifiable as it is meant to motivate athletes to continue to challenge the extent of their capabilities and to reward them for their hard work and determination.