19-year-old Kacper Tomasiak, making his debut at the Olympic Games, won the silver medal in ski jumping on Monday. Although the teenage athlete has a long career ahead of him, he already secured a decent Olympic retirement yesterday.
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Who can count on an Olympic pension?
The Olympic pension is a special monthly cash benefit paid from the state budget to former Polish athletes who won medals at the most important international sports events. This includes: for the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Deaf Games and other competitions of this rank, e.g. Chess Olympiads. Currently, almost 600 people receive this benefit.
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How much is the Olympic pension in Poland in 2026?
According to the currently applicable regulations, athletes who have completed their active career and are over 40 years old can receive an Olympic pension. The algorithm for calculating the amount of the benefit is precisely defined in the regulations. “The benefit payable in a given financial year is determined on the basis of the base amount for members of the Civil Service Corps, the amount of which, determined in accordance with separate principles, is determined by the Budget Act, taking into account the multiplier of the base amount of 1.8” – we read in Art. 36 of the “Sports Act”.
Applying this provision in practice, this means that people receiving the Olympic pension can count on transfers in the amount of PLN 5,116.99 net per month in 2026.
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When cannot an athlete receive an Olympic pension?
The regulations also clearly state what constitutes an obstacle to receiving an Olympic pension despite winning a medal during the Games. A person is not entitled to the benefit:
- convicted by a final judgment for an intentional crime or an intentional fiscal crime,
- disciplined for doping in sport by disqualification for an individual period of more than 24 months or more than once, regardless of the individual amount,
- participating in sports competitions organized by the Polish sports association.
