For most athletes—aside from a few highly paid Olympians like Kevin Durant and Naomi Osaka—competing at this elite level is a financial struggle. There are equipment costs, coaching costs, training costs, medical costs and more, leaving athletes to scrounge for cash from sponsors and grants. But the select few who are able to scale the podium—339 sets of medals are set to be awarded at the Tokyo Games, across 33 sports—may find that their countries are willing to make it all worth their while. Stay Connected Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes More From Forbes: http://forbes.com