The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has established a $140 million fund to pay a $10,000 "fit for the future Olympian grant" to every athlete competing at each Olympic Games, starting with the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics [1, 2, 3, 4].
The grant aims to support athletes either during their sporting careers or in career transition and is distinct from prize money awarded for performance at the Games [1, 2, 4]. Athletes must apply approximately six months after their Olympic competition and satisfy eligibility criteria, including adherence to the Olympic charter and absence of anti-doping violations [1, 2].
An estimated 3,000 athletes from the 2026 Winter Games are the first group eligible to apply for the grant, with around 14,000 athletes expected contingent across each Games, including about 11,000 at the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics [2, 4]. The IOC confirmed the grants will be distributed through National Olympic Committee (NOC) channels and will not reduce existing funding allocated by the IOC or international federations [1, 3].
IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who has historically opposed Olympic prize money, supports this direct athlete funding initiative. She emphasized the distinction, explaining the grant is not prize money but a means to recognize the commitment athletes make [1, 3, 4]. Pau Gasol said, "This grant will be available to every Olympian, not just medal winners, not just athletes from certain countries," adding that "every Olympian has made sacrifices to reach the Olympic stage, years of dedication, years of hard work, years of believing in a dream" [1, 2, 3].
In contrast, some sports bodies award prize money for medals. World Athletics paid $50,000 to gold medalists at the Paris 2024 Games and plans to extend payments to silver and bronze medalists at Los Angeles 2028, but the IOC itself rejects paying prize money directly [1, 2, 4]. Sebastian Coe called the announcement at the IOC annual session in Lausanne on June 24, 2026, "a historic moment for the movement," expressing his delight at the decision [2, 4].
The IOC session that approved the fund and related Olympic Charter amendments opened on June 24, 2026 in Lausanne [3]. The next major milestone will come six months after the 2026 Winter Games, when the first athletes become eligible to apply for the grants.
