Are Olympic figure skaters making a living at figure skating?

Answer 1

It depends on the skater and what country they are from. Some will "turn pro" meaning they can not compete in another Olympics or other official championships, but they can go on tour with ice shows such as "Stars On Ice" or "Disney On Ice" or various other productions. If they choose to tour with the shows after "retiring" from competitive skating, they can make a living at it. For a few skaters, the best in the world, endorsement deals can be substantial, especially right after a big success like winning gold at the Olympics, and especially if they are from a wealthy, free-market country like the USA or Japan.

In some countries Olympic skaters are funded completely by the government, so their training, housing, food, etc costs them nothing, but they also get little in return for their accomplishment (though the government often gives cash prizes for winning metals and incentives such as a new house, etc for earning such an honor.)

Thus, while it is possible for Olympic figure skaters to make a living at figure skating post-Olympics, it is neither a lucrative profession nor a sure bet (the cost of ice time and coaching fees in order to get to the Olympic games if a skater is from the US for example, may be well over $100,000.) And while there is always the option of the traveling ice show, not all high level figure skaters want to do them, and they can of course pursue other careers after their competitive skating days are over ... including coaching or judging.