Russia gives each IIHF gold medalist brand new Mercedes-Benz (Photos)
Victorious Russian athletes were already having a great 2014. Winning a medal at the Sochi Olympics in February or gold at the 2014 IIHF World Championships in May means you're a hero in your homeland. And those heroes have been rewarded handsomely.
After handing out Mercedes to medal winners from Sochi, Russian president Vladimir Putin rewarded the men’s hockey team who won gold at this year’s worlds in Minsk. The players, like Alex Burmistrov and Anton Khudobin, began showing off their new wheels on social media Tuesday.
The Russian medalists also received monetary rewards, with $120,000 going to those who won gold, $76,000 to silver medalists and $52,000 to Olympians who took home bronze. No word yet on what kind of cash prize the hockey players found inside the glove compartments of their new cars.
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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy
