[AzNightmare]

Originally Posted by underscore

It looks like they dropped the amateur thing back in the 90's. But originally yes, they were supposed to all be amateur athletes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_sports#Olympics

I've always wondered how do you define the fine line of amateur and pro?

My idea is that if you get paid to play, then you're a pro. But I feel that's also an over simplistic view.

I only follow hockey, but besides NHL, even lower pro leagues like ECHL are still technically "pro" as players are getting paid.

How does it work for all these other events in Olympics? Are there leagues, for example, like speed skating, where these athletes can do it full time and get paid enough to make a living? Or are these athletes competing and training on the side while still doing a basic full time job to put food on the table?