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The International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has slammed World Athletics' idea of awarding gold medallists instead of channeling the money to developing the sport.
The International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach is not happy with the move by World Athletics to offer prize money to the gold medallists at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
World Athletics announced a total prize pot of US$2.4 million (about Ksh312 million) has been ring-fenced from the International Olympic Committee’s revenue share allocation, which is received by World Athletics every four years.
The finances will be used to reward athletes who win a gold medal in each of the 48 athletics events in Paris with US$50,000 (Ksh6.5 million). Relay teams will receive the same amount, to be shared among the team.
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However, Bach has advised that instead of using the money to award medallists, they should channel the it to develop the sport globally.
Speaking to BBC Sport, he insisted that the role of international federations is to develop the sport worldwide and give opportunities to athletes in their member federations.
“This proposal by World Athletics would benefit 48 athletes from about 2,000 participants in athletics in the Olympic Games and tens of thousands across the globe who are striving to participate in the Olympic Games,” Bach said.
“The role of international federations as we see it, and all the other international federations are seeing it, is to develop their sport worldwide.
“And to give the best possible opportunities to all of the athletes in their member federations - to give them the best training conditions, the best facilities, to at least narrow the gap between the athletes from more privileged countries and the athletes from less privileged countries.”
However, World Athletics have defended their scheme, noting that they already distribute majority of their Olympic broadcast revenue to member federations through their ‘Grant for Growth’ project and other grants.
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