Yeah, it's the same here with certain events. I highly doubt Jessie Diggins is getting paid to cross-country ski for the most part if you aren't in hockey, basketball, swimming, gymnastics, snowboarding, or Alpine skiing, you probably are lucky to get any support, and don't make much if anything from your sport.
Vic Wild is a great example. He switched to his wife's country, because US alpine snowboarding program is just awful. No support, little opportunity.
I thought that sport was considered almost as a normal job in the US ... i understand now that it seems to depend on the sport