Games of the XXXII Olympiad - Tokyo 2021

I don't have a problem with professionals competing, I think the purpose is to provide an international platform for the best athletes in the world to compete for a single award - professional status is immaterial from that perspective. I get that it until 1986 (so for the first 90 years of the modern Olympics), it was exclusively amateurs. But 35 years since the decision, it seems like it is appropriate.

The whole games have become so commercialized, it would present some weird dynamics to continue to insist that only amateurs can perform. And these days, it's really hard to define what an amateur is anyway. For example, consider a swimmer who does not participate in any sort of professional swimming organization but who earns $50K (or more depending on how many) from the US Olympic Committee for winning medals and has endorsement deals of various worth that form the person's income. Is that person a professional? If yes, then what really is the point of insisting on amateur status other than to open up the podium to 'regular Joes' and not people who work their whole lives on that sport? If no, then what constitutes a professional and how is that distinction not purely arbitrary - both are making a living performing in that sport.