World Athletics became the first international organization to payout prize money at the 2024 Paris Olympics. A $50,000 reward for Olympic gold medalists came with lines of promises to give back revenues generated by athletes. In his statement, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe remarked, “While it is impossible to put a marketable value on winning an Olympic medal…I think it is important we start somewhere.” 

It looks like not all track and field competitors are happy about the landmark decision to offer prize money to gold medal winners at the Paris Games. While the internet already opened the doors of criticism, a multi-distant Olympic sprinter examining the incentive with a critical eye.

World Athletics learns behind-the-scenes of new policy

Monzavous Edwards, a 42-year-old American sprinter who finished 10th for Team USA in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, responded to the World Athletics announcement on X. He wrote, “In reality it’s a step in the right direction but still isn’t “worth” anything. Gold at the WC is worth more than Olympic Gold? Silver or bronze at WC gets paid too…so yea this is cute, but it’s like giving a starving family of 7 a half a loaf of bread when you own a bakery.”

Fact-checking Edwards’s assertion: Is the situation for elite athletes really so bad? An athletes’ rights organization reported that 58% of elite competitors from 48 different countries who participated in the study did not think they were financially stable. Before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, AP News reported that even larger majorities claimed they had not received “the appropriate amount of financial compensation” from the International Olympic Committee or the national federations to send them to the Olympics and other major competitions.

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An anonymous athlete revealed the grim reality, saying, “Paycheck depends on how I preform at a major championships once every 2-4 years. If I do not preform well in one moment I cannot financially support myself.” However, before the 2020-21 Tokyo Olympics, 57% of athletes voted that they should be paid by the International Olympic Committee to attend its events.

The long-awaited change

On social media, there is currently a debate on whether or not the satisfaction of winning a sport where past competitors competed just for the thrill of serving their nation will stifle their sense of patriotism. “A pivotal moment for World Athletics and the sport of athletics as a whole, underscoring our commitment to empowering the athletes and recognizing the critical role they play in the success of any Olympic Games,” said the two-time gold medalist Sebastian Coe himself.

Will the 48 sports where WA is promising $50,000 for the gold winner lack the true spirit of athletics? Or is it the past and present of life, as underappreciated players either reflect and feel privileged to have come from a different age or adopt a perspective similar to that of Monzavous Edwards? What do you think?

“This Is Embarrassing”: World Athletics’s $50K Reward for Paris Olympics 2024 Leaves Track World in Splits