Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk promises payout if Ukrainians win medals

Ukrainian boxers participating in the Paris Games are motivated by an additional incentive to secure medals, as former undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, aged 37, has committed to providing them with prize money from his personal funds should they reach the podium.

Ukraine is represented by three boxers in Paris: Oleksandr Khyzhniak, a silver medallist from the Tokyo Olympics, along with Aider Abduraimov and Dmytro Lovchynskyi. Usyk has been actively supporting them throughout the Games.

"He offers substantial assistance to our boxers in various forms, including financial support," stated Ukraine's coach Dmitry Sosnovsky to Reuters following Khyzhniak's victory over Hungarian boxer Pylyp Akilov on Tuesday.

"He assured them that if they achieve medal placements at the Olympic Games, he will personally provide the prize money.

"He will award them for bronze, silver, and gold medals. He mentioned that the reward for first place would be $80,000, for second place, the silver medal, it would be $70,000, and for the bronze, $50,000."

A representative from Ukraine's Olympic committee has verified that Usyk has agreed to provide prize money to medal winners.

Usyk, who holds titles from WBC, WBO, and WBA, is a former Olympic champion himself, having secured a gold medal in the heavyweight division at the 2012 London Games.

During Monday's match at the North Paris Arena, Usyk showed his support for super heavyweight Lovchynskyi, who unfortunately lost to Australian Teremoana Junior by knockout.

Sosnovsky mentioned, "He was present on Monday and visited the dressing room before the fight to offer words of encouragement, assuring them that everything would turn out fine."

"He has been giving advice to each boxer to help them in their matches, aiming to motivate them."

In addition to the prize money provided by Usyk, medallists in the boxing competition will also be rewarded by the International Boxing Association (IBA), with $100,000 for gold medallists, $50,000 for silver, and $25,000 for bronze.