World Athletics President Sebastian Coe Addresses Prize Money Decision for Track and Field Gold Medallists at 2024 Paris Olympics

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe has made a groundbreaking decision to award prize money to track and field gold medallists at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, marking a significant shift in the international sports landscape.

Athletics’ global governing body announced that a total prize pot of USD2.4 million will be reserved to reward winners in each of the 48 athletics events at the upcoming Paris Olympics, with relay winners set to share the prize. This initiative will also be extended to silver and bronze medalists at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Coe emphasized the importance of supporting athletes, acknowledging the financial challenges many face in pursuing their dreams. His remarks were echoed by athletes like Hugues Fabrice Zango, who stressed the need for financial support to stay competitive, especially for athletes from less privileged backgrounds.

While some dissenting voices, like the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), expressed concerns about the move undermining the values of Olympism, prominent athletes like Mutaz Barsham, Chase Jackson, and Armand Duplantis voiced their support for the initiative, viewing it as a positive step forward for track and field and other sports.

Duplantis, who recently set a new world record in the pole vault, believes that the prize money will not only benefit track and field but also put pressure on other sports to follow suit. Coe reassured critics that the budget set aside for prize money is minimal compared to the overall investment in developing track and field sports.

As the sports world awaits the Paris Olympics, the decision to award prize money to athletes has sparked a debate about the future of the Games and the impact it will have on athletes worldwide.