IOC creates $140m fund to give every Olympian a $10,000 grant
The International Olympic Committee announced a $140 million fund on Wednesday that will provide a $10,000 'Fit for the Future' grant to every Olympic competitor, starting with athletes from this year's Milano-Cortina Winter Games.
The grant programme
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will pay a $10,000 (about €8,800) grant to every athlete who competes in a Summer or Winter Games. The new 'Fit for the Future Olympian Grant' is backed by a $140m fund per four-year Olympiad. Around 2,900 to 3,000 athletes who took part in the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games earlier this year will be the first to apply, once the application process is set up. After the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Games, an estimated 11,000 to 14,000 Olympians are expected to be eligible.
Not prize money, says IOC
IOC Athletes' Commission chair Pau Gasol, who presented the plan, stressed the grant is not prize money but recognition of the sacrifices every Olympian makes.
The grant supports an athlete's sporting career or the transition into post-sport work and will be delivered through existing National Olympic Committee structures. IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who took office a year ago and has consistently opposed direct prize money for medals, said the programme had been a topic of conversation for many years and that she was proud to implement it.This grant will be available to every Olympian, not just medal winners, not just athletes from certain countries. Every Olympian, because while every athlete's journey is different, every Olympian has made sacrifices to reach the Olympic stage.
A break with 132 years of tradition
The decision, taken at the 146th IOC Session in Lausanne, marks the first time in the organisation's modern history that it shares Olympic revenues directly with all competitors. The IOC holds reserves of nearly $5bn and already runs an Olympic Solidarity programme worth $650m per four-year cycle to assist athletes from less-wealthy countries. This new grant adds another layer and does not reduce existing Solidarity allocations. Some former athletes, including South African swimmer Roland Schoeman, have petitioned for the IOC leadership to do more, arguing that the billions generated by the Games belong to the athletes.
World Athletics paved the way with medal prizes
World Athletics broke with custom at the Paris 2024 Games by awarding $50,000 to each gold medallist in track and field events. Its president, Sebastian Coe, welcomed the IOC grant.
World Athletics will extend its prize money to silver and bronze medallists at Los Angeles 2028. The IOC's new grant is separate, available to all competitors regardless of podium finishes.This is a historic moment for the movement and I'm absolutely delighted to be in the room when this has been announced.
- IOC Grant (per athlete)
- 10000 $
- WA Gold Medal Prize (Paris 2024)
- 50000 $
Eligibility and conditions
Athletes must apply for the grant approximately six months after their Games end. They will be vetted for anti-doping violations and adherence to the Olympic Charter and the IOC code of ethics. Anyone with a positive doping record or other ethical breaches will be ineligible. The programme applies retroactively to the Milano-Cortina Games and will cover all future Olympiads.
