In a major departure from its governing principles, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced the creation of a $140 million fund to pay grants to every participant at both the Summer and Winter Games.
When founded in 1894, the IOC had a stated mission to promote an amateur ethos in sport, which stood firm until it allowed professional athletes to compete in the 1988 Games. This new announcement is a much larger departure, as for the first time ever the IOC will directly reward participating athletes and marks a huge shift in how athletes are rewarded.
The new system will start from the recent Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, and all athletes who competed in the Games in February will be entitled to a $10,000 grant. Across the Summer and Winter Games the IOC claims there will be about 14,000 athletes who will be entitled to the grant, hence the $140 million fund. Crucially, every Olympian will have the same entitlement, regardless of standard, sport or professional salary.
Athletes will receive the grant six months after competing at the Olympics, on the condition that they have not failed a doping test or violated the Olympic Charter. The grants will not be paid directly to athletes but will be distributed through the National Olympic Committees to then be passed on to the athletes.
While this does mark a significant shift from the IOC, the amateur ethos had already started crumbling when World Athletics announced prize money for Olympic athletics champions at Paris 2024. At those Games each individual gold medal winner in athletics was rewarded with $50,000, and World Athletics has announced that at the next Games in LA in 2028 all three medalists will be financially rewarded.
The new fund for every participant is the initiative of the IOC President, Kirsty Coventry, who took over the role in June 2025. The Zimbabwean official came out strongly against the World Athletics plans, stating that she does not believe in paying athletes, but the latest announcement, made as part of her ‘Fit for the Future’ reforms appear to be a compromise position.
The debate regarding professionalising the Olympics is certainly a sensitive one, but it looks as though the pressure from professional sport to reward athletes appropriately is breaking down the amateur barriers. The danger for many supporters of the amateur ethos is whether this becomes the thin end of the wedge, and once the first barrier has been breached, others will quickly follow.
While sporting precedents are easy to find in the likes of cricket and rugby union, where a move from amateur status to professional was managed (eventually), the Olympics is different and cannot be treated like other sports. While recognising financial sporting realities, the IOC must be careful not to water down the very essence of the Olympic movement, which makes the Games so special.
David Little is a Partner at Bishop & Sewell in our expert Sports Law and Corporate & Commercial
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The above is accurate as at 1 July 2026.
The information above may be subject to change. The content of this note should not be considered legal advice, and each matter should be considered on a case-by-case basis.
