Athletes who triumph in athletics at this yr’s Paris Olympics won’t just win gold; You may even receive a prize of $50,000

World Athletics, the governing body for track and field, announced Wednesday that it can distribute $2.4 million from the International Olympic Committee’s revenue sharing to the winners of 48 events. It is the primary time that a sport has offered prize money on the Olympics, the quadrennial spectacle that was once considered the head of amateur athletics.

“The introduction of prize money for Olympic gold medalists is a pivotal moment for World Athletics and the sport of athletics as a whole. “It underlines our commitment to empowering athletes and recognizing the critical role they play in the success of all Olympic Games,” the federation’s president Sebastian Coe said in a press release opinion.

Payouts for silver and bronze medalists will begin on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, said Coe, who won gold medals for Great Britain within the 1,500 meters in 1980 1984. Relay teams that win gold medals split the $50,000 prize among the many 4 members.

Asked by reporters whether the move went against the spirit of the Olympics, Coe said: “I don’t think that’s the case,” Coe said the guard.

“I think the world has changed,” he said. “It is really important that wherever possible we create a sport that is financially viable for our competitors. This is the beginning of it.”

Payment of prize money will rely upon World Athletics’ ratification process, including whether athletes undergo and complete standard anti-doping procedures, the federation said.