Italian Olympic athletes often belong to one of the police service Athletic Clubs. Marcell Jacobs, 100m & 4x100m gold medalist, is a member of the Polizia di Stato's Fiamme Oro, while the other 3 members of the 4x100m team are from the Guardia di Finanza's Fiamme Gialle >> 1 
Likewise, other Olympic athletics gold medalists: Antonella Palmisano (Women's 20km Walk, Fiamme Gialle), Gianmarco Tamberi (Men's High Jump, Fiamme Oro) and Massimo Stano (Men's 20km Walk, Fiamme Oro). The Clubs are not limited to athletics and cover numerous sports >> 2
In Tokyo, Fiamme Oro have won 5 gold medals (athletics & rowing), 5 silver (swimming & fencing) & 15 bronze (cycling, rowing, fencing, judo, swimming, boxing, archery, karate & weightlifting). That's half of Italy's gold & silver medals & all but 4 of its bronze medals >> 3
As well as Polizia di Stato & Guardia di Finanza, Carabinieri have a sports section (skier Alberto Tomba & luger Armin Zöggeler were Carabinieri) & even the Penitentiary Police have the Fiamme Azzurre (skater Carolina Kostner), as does the Fire Service (Fiamme Rosse) >> 4
The clubs recruit promising young athletes in various sports periodically & pay them the same salary as a serving officer of the same rank (so, well below €2,000 a month at the start of their career). This gives them a certain financial stability while they train & compete >> 5
Additionally, it means they have a job & prospective livelihood, if they so choose, when their sporting career is over, especially if they compete in disciplines that do not bring fame & sponsorship deals or if, for any reason, their competitive career is cut short // 6
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