It doesn't matter that Dershwitz is the reigning world champion in men's saber and a medal favorite at the 2024 Paris Games. Gymnast Simone Biles and sprinter Noah Lyles might be wealthy from their Olympic victories, but they are exceptions. Like many American athletes, Dershwitz cannot subsist on the stipends and bonuses he receives from USA Fencing and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. "It goes to the fundamentals of what the Olympic Games mean to our country," says Carrie Potter, a lecturer in sport finance at Rice University. Though a 9-to-5 job would leave early mornings open for conditioning and evenings for fencing, Dershwitz had seen other athletes struggle with that balance.

Source: Los Angeles Times July 26, 2024 10:40 UTC