"Olympic athletes deserve pay and prize money"

OPINION: The Tokyo Olympics in 2021 generated revenues equating to around 370,000 US dollars for every one of the 11,300 competitors at the Games. UNI World Players Association calls for new solidarity models that both serve the athletes and the development of sport. [...]

But behind this mirage of unity, is a massive money-making machine. From 2017 to 2021, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which runs the Games, generated a staggering US$7.6 billion in revenue, mainly from sponsorships, broadcasting rights and spectators. [...]

The only direct benefits athletes receive from the IOC are through its ‘Olympic Scholarship’ programme, which offers special support and assistance to some competitors at the Games. However, this is incredibly limited, equivalent to a meager 0.6 per cent of revenue across the Olympic cycle.

To pull off this great swindle, the IOC, is feeding off a veneer of tradition and ‘amateurism’ through a business model it artfully calls ‘Olympic Solidarity’. Here the IOC claims it distributes 90 per cent of this revenue to its members - the National Olympic Committees and international sports federations.

These bodies tend to operate with minimal transparency and are free to use the funds at their discretion, with little oversight of how they prioritize athletes' needs and interests. [...]

The huge toll this financial precarity has on athletes is real and profound - recent research by the Australian Sports Foundation shows many athletes struggle to afford even the basic costs of competing on the world's biggest stage and have to work several jobs to fund their Olympic dream. 

46 per cent of elite athletes earn under 15,000 a year

Only a handful of the world’s most prominent Olympians can enjoy a lucrative career, for the majority this is a distant reality. The Australian Sports Foundation research shows 46 per cent of elite athletes earn under 15,000 US dollars a year, while 42 per cent report suffering poor mental health because of the financial difficulties they face. We need more research to document the aggravating impact this has on women athletes whose work is inherently more precarious and fragmented.

However, there is another way. [...]

The upcoming Paris Games, must serve as a turning point. The Olympic motto is “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together” – in this spirit of togetherness, it’s high time the IOC pays athletes their fair share.