Russia’s Olympic medalists from this summer’s Games in Brazil’s Rio de Janerio are to receive free luxury cars from BMW, the Interfax news agency reported Thursday.
The cars were transported to the Kremlin, where athletes picked up the keys at a special ceremony.
Gold medalists will receive an X6 model BMW, silver medalists will receive an X4, and bronze medalists will drive away with an X3 model, the BMW Group Russia announced.
All of the cars were assembled in Russia, said the Director of Russia’s Olympian Support Fund, Alexander Katushev.
Russian medalists will also receive cash prizes, ranging from four million rubles ($60,000) for a gold medal, 2.7 million ($40,000) for a silver and 1.7 million ($26,000) for a bronze, Interfax reported.
Russia finished fourth in the Olympic medal table this year, despite many athletes being banned from competing after reports of an extensive state-run doping program in Russian sport.
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