Our list of the highest-earning athletes of the Winter Olympic looks at earnings derived from prize money, endorsements, licensing income and bonuses for the 2009 calendar year and does not deduct for taxes or agents’ fees. All salaried professional athletes, specifically National Hockey League players, were excluded from the list.
In terms of earning potential, American snowboarder Shaun White and South Korea figure-skating star Kim Yu-Na are typical Olympic athletes. They are dependent on sponsors, rather than competition prize money, to make a living in their sport. But the recent economic downturn has made it harder to turn gold medals into cash. Already at a disadvantage compared to most of their Summer Olympic siblings whose sports are more popular and marketable (think swimming's Michael Phelps or gymnastics' Mary Lou Retton), many Winter Olympian hopefuls have struggled with the loss of sponsors leading to the 2010 Vancouver games.
Full story: Top-Earning Athletes Of The 2010 Winter Olympics – Forbes.com