Here is all you need to know about the prize money for the 2024 Olympics track and field athletes
World Athletics will give reward money to all three medal winners at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, a first for an Olympic sport. Gold medallists in 48 athletics events at this year’s Paris Games will also receive hefty awards apart from the medals.
The IOC softened its stance on the matter of Olympic athletes receiving no compensation at all throughout the years. Even now, unless it comes from their sponsors or the relevant governments, athletes are not paid directly for competing in or winning gold at the Olympics.
Paris Olympics 2024 track and field winner and runner up prize money pool details
And now, this summer in Paris, track and field will make history by being the first sport to allow some prizes to medalists, allocating a seven-figure prize fund that will likely surpass previous records.
Meanwhile, medal winners already get awards from the U.S. Olympic Committee; gold medal winners receive $37,500 ans not just the medals. Though the total prize money differs; several other nations adopt a similar strategy.
Apart from the aforementioned rewards, World Athletics is daringly returning a portion of its Olympic earnings to the athletes. So here is all you need to know about the prize money for the track and field athletes in Olympics.
How much will the track and field athletes be paid at the Olympics?
The first-ever Olympic prize fund of $2.4 million will go to track and field competitors competing in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, according to a World Athletics announcement on Wednesday.
However, this news is only good for the podium finishers as only gold medalists will receive prize money. But that is anticipated to change in 2028 when the programme will include silver and gold medalists.
48 different men’s and women’s contests will compete for a total of $2.4 million, with cash $50,000 (approx Rs 41.6 lakh) going to the winner of each sport’s gold medal. Four members of a gold medal winning relay team will each get $12,500 from the payment, which is divided among the relay teams.
A new milestone for our sport 🏟️
World Athletics becomes the first international federation to award prize money at the Olympic Games.
Take a look at some of the other major athletics milestones at the Olympics.
Press Release 🔗 https://t.co/8OZAwlJy5W pic.twitter.com/luNjZ9lhHP
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) April 10, 2024
Additionally, World Athletics stated that closer to the competition, a comprehensive revenue distribution strategy for the 2028 Summer Olympics will be revealed.