Rio 2016 / Daniel Ramalho
As you probably know, the 2016 Olympic Games are set to begin this Friday in Rio de Janeiro. That makes this the perfect time to take a look at eight of the richest athletes competing this year. Dominating the list below, the game of tennis.
1) Serena Williams (U.S., tennis)
Estimated net worth: $145 million
2) Novak Djokovic (Serbia, tennis)
Estimated net worth: $130 million
3) Rafael Nadal (Spain, tennis)
Estimated net worth: $125 million
4) Kevin Durant (U.S., basketball)
Estimated net worth: $100 million
5) Andy Murray (Great Britain, tennis)
Estimated net worth: $85 million
6) Venus Williams (U.S., tennis)
Estimated net worth: $75 million
7) Michael Phelps (U.S., swimming)
Estimated net worth: $55 million
8) Sergio Garcia (Spain, golf)
Estimated net worth: $40 million
For a full list, check out Forbes Magazine’s list of the world’s highest paid athletes.
The opening night festivities at Maracana Stadium, including the Parade of Nations, start at 4 p.m. PT, but viewers in Santa Barbara won’t be able to watch it live. That’s because NBC plans to air the popular event during prime time. I’ll be watching the opening ceremony at 8 p.m. PT.
Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history, will be Team USA’s flag bearer during the opening ceremonies. Members of Team USA voted for Phelps to carry the flag. Phelps, competing in his fifth and final Olympics, has won 18 gold medals and holds three individual world records. Phelps will swim three individual events at the Games. His debut in the preliminaries of the 200-meter butterfly is set to happen on August 8.
Here’s some other info regarding the upcoming Olympic Games. Rio de Janeiro is the first city in South America to host the Olympics. They’ll run from Aug. 5-Aug. 21, 2016, but the Olympic soccer tournament begins Aug. 3. The 2016 Olympic Games mascot is Vinicius, a bright-yellow catlike figure that also has elements of monkeys and birds. This year there are two “new” Olympic sports: golf and rugby. They’re considered “new” because they’ve both been part of past Olympic games, but not in many years. Rugby returns after 92 years, while golf makes a comeback after 112 years. The slogan for these Olympic games is, “Viva sua paixão,” which translated into English means “Live your passion.” The 2016 Olympics Games will be streaming live on Santa Barbara’s KSBY.
Olympic and other notable athletes have made Santa Barbara home over the years. After all, we have a great climate for training, and just an overall wonderful ambiance conducive to health, fitness and a wide array of sports. If you already live here, you know what I’m talking about. If you’re considering moving and buying a home or home away from home here, I bet the great climate and ambiance are among your reasons for doing so. Although it’s too late to find you property here so you can enjoy watching the Rio Olympics from a new Santa Barbara home, I invite you to check out my website so we can find one for you in Montecito, Hope Ranch or any of Santa Barbara’s upscale communities and get you into it before the 2018 Olympic Trials in PyeongChang. Call me at 805.886.9378 or email me at Cristal@montecito-estate.com to discuss your situation and we can come up with a Gold Metal strategy to sell your home. Be sure to check out my website and like me on Facebook.