Keely Hodgkinson Reacts to Controversial IOC Stance on Paying Olympic Athletes

A firestorm of criticism from athletes worldwide has erupted after International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry stated she does not believe Olympians should be paid for competing at the Games.

"I don’t believe in paying athletes," Coventry, a former Olympic champion herself, told Sport Nation last week. "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."

The response from the athletic community was swift and sharp, with many questioning the disparity between unpaid athletes and the substantial compensation received by IOC members.

One user on X (formerly Twitter) poignantly asked, "Can athletes pay mortgages with memories of performing in a nice stadium?"

Coventry, who won a 200m backstroke gold for Zimbabwe in 2004, defended the current model. "They get beautiful venues, beautiful villages and a beautiful experience," she argued. "And all of that comes from the money that we raise."

The comments drew attention to the IOC's own finances. Coventry reportedly earns an annual salary of $350,000 plus a housing allowance.

Furthermore, reports indicate that over $55 million was paid to IOC directors during the 2021–2024 Olympic cycle, a figure that exceeds the revenue share distributed to some international sports federations, such as World Athletics.

Social media users mocked the sentiment. "I don’t believe in taxes, yet I pay them every year," one person commented, while another wrote, "I don’t believe in paying presidents of the IOC."

Prominent athletes also weighed in. Three-time Olympic swimming medallist Roland Schoeman remarked, "The IOC loves the idea of ‘Olympic values’ as long as athletes are the only ones expected to sacrifice financially." Reigning 800m Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson simply commented, "Eeeeee this won’t age well."

Currently, most Olympic athletes rely on a patchwork of support from national governing bodies, brand sponsorships, and often their own personal funds. The Olympic Games do not offer prize money, even to medal winners.

Coventry highlighted the IOC's indirect support systems, such as scholarships. "I was an Olympic solidarity scholarship holder... without that money, I’m not sure I would have been as successful," she said, expressing her gratitude for the program.

However, this support is not universally available. In Canada, for instance, athletic federations can only fund a limited number of athletes.

An athlete may lose their funding if their performance plateaus, even if they remain among the nation's best. Sponsorships are also scarce, with even world-class competitors like race walk champion Evan Dunfee lacking a major sponsor despite years of international success.

Furthermore, medal bonuses vary drastically by country. A Canadian Olympic gold medallist receives C$20,000, less than half the amount awarded to their US counterparts and a small fraction of the payouts in other nations, which can range from US$100,000 to over $1 million.