Direct Olympian Support
IOC Establishes $140 Million Fund, Offering $10,000 Grants to Olympians
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Key Points
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The grant is retroactive to Milan-Cortina 2026 participants, with payments planned about six months after each Games, and will be delivered through National Olympic Committees rather than paid directly by the IOC to athletes.
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Eligibility includes specific criteria: all Olympians with Aa accreditation beginning at Milano Cortina 2026 and must not have violated anti-doping rules or the Olympic Charter/ethics; athletes must apply (mid-cycle) to receive the grant.
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The program is described as a $140 million per Olympiad fund, expected to reach roughly 14,000 athletes, with Milan-Cortina ~3,000 participants and Los Angeles 2028 about 11,000; the plan also states the grant will not reduce IOC shares or existing funding to NOCs/IFs/OCOGs.
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Athlete counts by Games illustrate the scope: Milan-Cortina is expected to involve about 2,900–3,000 athletes, while Los Angeles 2028 will include about 11,000 athletes, together totaling roughly 14,000 per Olympiad.
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The initiative is framed within the IOC’s Fit for the Future strategy and will be administered via NOCs, with assurances that it does not displace existing support or funding for NOCs, IFs, or OCOGs.
The International Olympic Committee announced a $140 million fund on June 24 to give every eligible Olympian a $10,000 grant, starting with the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games. The move marks the first time in the IOC's 132-year history that it will pay nearly all competitors directly, regardless of whether they win a medal, according to Front Office Sports.
About 14,000 athletes per Olympiad stand to benefit — roughly 3,000 from Milan-Cortina 2026 and 11,000 from Los Angeles 2028. Payments of $10,000 per athlete will flow through National Olympic Committees about six months after each Games, with the first disbursements expected in 2027, The Guardian reported.
IOC Calls It a Grant, Not Prize Money
Officials were careful to label the payment a
IOC Athletes' Commission Chair Pau Gasol unveiled the fund at the 146th IOC Session in Lausanne. He said the grant honors the
How Athletes Actually Qualify and Get Paid
To receive the $10,000, athletes must hold an "Aa" accreditation at the Games and must not have violated anti-doping rules or the Olympic Charter. They also have to apply — the portal for Milan-Cortina 2026 participants opens at the end of 2026, according to Front Office Sports.
The IOC says the $140 million per Olympiad is new money. It will not reduce existing revenue shares sent to National Olympic Committees or International Federations, according to The Guardian. Unused funds stay in the pool rather than being returned.
Supporters Praise the Move, Critics Flag Accountability Gaps
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe — who introduced $50,000 prize money for gold medalists at Paris 2024 — called the IOC's decision a
South African swimmer Roland Schoeman pushed back sharply. He argued $10,000 is a
A Historic Shift Tied to Kirsty Coventry's Early Presidency
The grant is a centerpiece of IOC President Kirsty Coventry's "Fit for the Future" strategy, a five-theme reform plan she launched after taking office in June 2025. She became the first woman and first African to lead the IOC when elected in March 2025, according to The Sports Examiner.
The IOC reported $7.7 billion in commercial revenue for the 2021–2024 cycle and holds nearly $5 billion in reserves, according to Front Office Sports. For athletes from lower-income countries, $10,000 can exceed a full year's median salary — making the grant transformative for a slice of the field even if critics call it modest by Olympic standards.
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