All U.S. athletes can also earn a "medal bonus" from the U.S. Olympic committee for each medal won. The U.S. pays American medal winners $25,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver, and $10,000 for bronze medals. Some countries, though not all, pay athletes similar medal bonuses. The highest found is Russia. This year Russia raised Olympic medal awards to $100,000 for gold, $60,000 for silver, and $40,000 for bronze.