Gold for weightlifting champ reignites debate over bonuses

Nurcan Taylan's record-breaking performance at the World Weightlifting Championships on Friday has reopened the debate over giving bonuses to Turkish athletes. Taylan, Turkey's top performer in women's weightlifting, soared to new heights in her career, setting a world record by lifting 121 kilograms in the clean and jerk at the championships in the Mediterranean city of Antalya. Under government rules on bonuses, Turkish athletes are given the gold equivalent of some 200,000 Turkish liras when they win a gold medal in an international event. Though Taylan will get 1,000 gold pieces for her achievement, this pales in comparison to the amount given to the Turkish National Basketball Team for its silver-medal finish in the World Basketball Championship.