Noah Lyles, Faith Kipyegon, Kishane Thompson Among 14,000 Olympians Eligible for New $10,000 IOC Grant

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced a new initiative that will provide a $10,000 grant to every athlete competing in future Olympic Games.

Named the "Fit for the Future Olympian Grant," the program is designed to support athletes during their sporting careers or as they transition into post-competition life.

A substantial fund of $140 million will be allocated for each edition of the Games, with athletes from this year's Winter Olympics being the first eligible to apply.

It is estimated that approximately 14,000 Olympians per Games will qualify for the grant. However, any athlete found guilty of an anti-doping violation or a breach of the IOC Code of Ethics, participation conditions, or the Olympic Charter will be ineligible.

The funds will be distributed through the existing structures of National Olympic Committees (NOCs).

The IOC has confirmed that this new grant will not affect any current support programs provided to NOCs, international sports federations, or through Olympic Solidarity.

This initiative is a key component of the IOC's "Fit for the Future" framework, which aims to find innovative ways to support athletes. While some NOCs offer prize money for medalists, others, like the British Olympic Association, do not.

Pau Gasol, a three-time Olympic basketball medallist from Spain and current chair of the IOC Athletes' Commission, emphasised the grant's purpose.

"While every athlete's journey is different, every Olympian has made sacrifices to reach the Olympic stage, years of dedication, years of hard work, years of believing in a dream," Gasol stated as quoted by BBC Sport.

"This is not prize money. This is about recognising the journey and the commitment it takes to become an Olympian."

He added that the grant honours the entire Olympic community and acknowledges the contributions of past athletes who paved the way for current and future generations.

The announcement follows a recent move by World Athletics, which became the first international federation to offer Olympic prize money at the Paris 2024 Games, awarding $50,000 to gold medalists. This will be extended to silver and bronze medal winners at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who has previously expressed opposition to Olympic prize money, stated that the organisation must "find more ways to directly impact athletes and help them on their journey."

"It has been a topic of conversation for many years, and I am extremely proud that we are now able to do this," Coventry said on Wednesday.

The grant will be available to all athletes with an "Aa" accreditation for the Olympic Games, but it does not apply to participants in the Youth Olympic Games. The IOC plans to open the application process for the 2026 Winter Olympics by the end of this year, with the first payments scheduled for 2027.