Olympic athletes who participate in the Olympic Games will be able to receive a subsidy of US$10,000 (around R$52,100), within a new program announced by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) on Wednesday (24).
The “Fit for the Future Olympian Grant” will also be awarded retroactively to those who competed in February’s Winter Olympics in northern Italy.
“The grant was created to support the sporting career or career transition of Olympians,” the IOC said in a statement. The entity says it has set aside a fund of up to US$140 million per edition of the Games for this purpose.
The announcement was made by former Spanish basketball player Pau Gasol during the 146th IOC Session in Lausanne, Switzerland. He is the president of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.
The next Olympic Games, scheduled for 2028 in Los Angeles, are expected to bring together around 11 thousand athletes. If the IOC fulfills its promise, the fund would be sufficient to cover all participants.
Subsidy available to everyone
Pay at the Olympic Games has always been a sensitive issue, as the movement’s original ideals were based on amateur sport.
But modern times have demanded a new approach, especially as athletes in some countries face difficulties in obtaining government support and not everyone is able to promote themselves with lucrative sponsorships.
“This grant will be available to all Olympians,” Gasol said. “Not just for medalists. Not just for athletes from certain countries. All Olympians. Because while every athlete’s path is different, every Olympian has made sacrifices to get to the Olympic stage.”
The only Olympians ineligible are those who have committed an anti-doping rule violation or breached the IOC code of ethics, conditions of participation or the Olympic Charter.
“This has been a topic that has been discussed for many years, and I am extremely proud that we can now do this,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry.
The scholarship must be requested through an IOC platform and sent to the Olympic committees in each country. These, in turn, will have to prove that they passed on the subsidy to the athletes, according to Gasol.
The IOC already funds a program called “Olympic Solidarity”, which directs subsidies worth thousands of dollars to athletes from less wealthy countries preparing to qualify and compete in the summer or winter Olympic Games.
Solidariedade’s budget, which also finances costs for teams, coaches and officials, is US$650 million for the four-year Olympic cycle that includes Milan-Cortina and Los Angeles.
