BENGALURU: World Athletics’ decision to reward Olympic champions with cash prizes is a sign of progress and can spur other global sports federations to do the same for their athletes, New Zealand shot put great Valerie Adams said on Thursday.
World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe said earlier this month that the governing body would pay athletics gold medallists at the Paris Games $50,000 each from a prize pot of $2.4 million, in a move that signalled the end of 128 years of tradition. Olympic silver and bronze medal winners in athletics will also receive prize money from the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
“I think it’s great and it’s progress. Athletics is a sport in which we don’t make a ton of money, unlike cricket or rugby,” double Olympic champion Adams told reporters in Bengaluru. “It’s (about) moving in the right direction. We’re moving forward as a sport. Our sport is taking the lead in this space.
While many athletes hailed a decision that will help offset high costs of training and competition, others questioned it as unfair to sports that cannot afford to do the same. The British Olympic Association and Association of Summer Olympic International Federations were taken by surprise, while the chief of cycling’s global governing body said the plan went against the Olympic spirit and solidarity among federations.