IOC President Kirsty Coventry Explains Why Olympic Athletes Should Not Be Paid

Kirsty Coventry, the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and a former Olympic gold medalist swimmer from Zimbabwe, has stated her firm opposition to directly paying athletes for their participation in the Olympic Games.

In a recent interview with Sport Nation NZ, Coventry argued against prize money, advocating instead for increased indirect support to help athletes throughout their careers.

"I don’t believe in paying athletes," Coventry said. "I come from a small country, I came from a sport that doesn’t necessarily pay athletes very well, and I still don’t think we should be paying athletes at the Olympic Games."

Coventry elaborated on her vision for athlete support, emphasising a holistic approach. "I do think we should find more ways to directly impact athletes... to find ways to directly help them on their journey to becoming Olympians, while they are Olympians, and as they are finding ways into their new career transition," she explained.

When questioned about athletes leveraging their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights, Coventry pointed to the non-monetary benefits provided by the IOC.

She highlighted the "beautiful venues, beautiful villages," and the overall "beautiful experience" as forms of value derived from the IOC's revenue.

"All of that comes from the money we raise," Coventry stated. "What I challenge athletes, national federations who are asking for more money… the solidarity model is very particular.

"Now, if the entire movement wants us to change, we would not have as many countries, not as many sports... And I don’t think that the Olympic Games, and I don’t think the Olympic movement thinks that’s the Olympic Games."

While acknowledging the financial hardships many athletes face, Coventry consistently championed the existing "solidarity model."

This system, as reported by Inside the Games, redistributes IOC revenue to organising committees, international federations, and national Olympic committees to fund athlete development programs.

Coventry, a former recipient of a solidarity scholarship, presented this model as the most equitable way to support the global Olympic movement.

However, this stance contrasts with recent developments in the sporting world. World Athletics, for instance, awarded $50,000 to its gold medalists at the Paris 2024 Olympics, with relay teams sharing the prize money.

The debate over athlete compensation has also seen prominent figures seek alternative income streams, such as the Enhanced Games.

Two-time U.S. Olympian Hunter Armstrong, citing financial pressures, recently competed in the Enhanced Games. He won $375,000 without using performance enhancers and plans to use the funds to train for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Similarly, fellow American Olympian Cody Miller, who has built a significant following on his YouTube channel, also participated in the Enhanced Games.

Miller won two events and earned $500,000, which he described as the largest single payday of his swimming career.