Olympic Rowing Legend Sir Steve Redgrave Criticizes World Athletics’ Decision to Award $50,000 for Gold Medallists in Paris 2024

In a controversial move by World Athletics, Olympic rowing legend Sir Steve Redgrave has spoken out against the decision to award $50,000 to gold medallists at the Paris 2024 Games. Redgrave, a five-time Olympic champion, believes that this move creates a “two-tier” system within the Olympics, favoring sports like athletics that can afford to offer prize money.

The announcement by World Athletics President Sebastian Coe to award prize money to gold medallists was met with excitement from the world’s leading athletes. However, Redgrave argues that this decision is unfair to sports that do not have the financial resources to offer similar incentives.

Redgrave, who dominated the sport of rowing for over a decade, expressed his concerns in an interview with the Daily Mail. He highlighted the struggles that sports like rowing, canoeing, and combat sports face in securing sponsorship and funding. Redgrave believes that the focus should be on supporting the grassroots of these sports and ensuring that all Olympic sports have equal opportunities for success.

The disparity in funding between sports like athletics and others was a key point of contention for Redgrave. He emphasized the importance of maintaining a level playing field for all Olympic sports and ensuring that financial rewards do not create divisions within the Games.

As the debate continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how this decision will impact the future of Olympic sports and the athletes who compete at the highest level. Redgrave’s outspoken criticism sheds light on the complexities of balancing financial incentives with the spirit of competition in the Olympic Games.