ANOC Statement on World Athletics’ decision to award prize money at the Olympic Games

The ANOC Executive Council today expressed its concerns with the announcement by World Athletics to award prize money to Olympic gold medallists in each of its Olympic events at Paris 2024 and all medallists at Los Angeles 2028.

The Executive Council supports the recent statement made by the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), supported by various of its member International Federations (IFs), on this matter.

While the Executive Council fully supports athletes being recognised for their performances, it was agreed that the decision by World Athletics to award prize money for the highest achieving athletes at the Games threatens to undermine the principles of Olympic solidarity that sit at the heart of the Olympic Movement.

ANOC recognises that the IOC redistributes over 90% of its revenue to the Olympic Movement, including to the NOCs and IFs,  appreciates that this contributes to reducing the sporting gap between richer and poorer countries, and also significantly contributes to the costs relating to the organisation of the Olympic Games and the participation of athletes from the 206 NOCs.

The Olympic Games cannot be compared to any other event and the unique values of Olympism, embodied by athletes from all nations, must be protected and preserved.

The Executive Council emphasised that the decision whether to award prize money to athletes should remain at a national level and is best coordinated by NOCs and governments for the purposes of celebrating national achievements across all sports.