Karolos Grohmann
BERLIN (Reuters) – World Athletics' decision to offer prize money to gold medallists at next month's Paris Olympics is discriminatory and goes against Olympic values, European Olympic Committee president Spyros Kapralos said on Friday.
World Athletics (WA) and the International Boxing Association (IBA) have announced prize money payments for their respective medallists, with the WA offering $50,000 in prize money to the 48 winners at the Paris Olympics.
Western Australia, led by former Olympic gold medallist and current International Olympic Committee member Sebastian Coe, will not offer prize money for silver and bronze medals at this Games but plans to do so at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The IBA has announced that it will offer prize money of $100,000 for gold medallists, $50,000 for silver medallists and $25,000 for bronze medallists at the Olympics, which will be held from July 26 to August 11.
These decisions have infuriated other international federations as well as the IOC, which sees them as direct interference in its own sports without prior consultation.
“I believe that in the Olympics, athletes are competing for Olympic values and that money or bonuses are not their primary concern,” said Capralos, who is also an IOC member.
A total of 10,500 athletes are expected to take part in 32 sports in Paris.
“I believe each country, through their national Olympic committee or their government, gives bonuses to athletes who win medals,” Capraros told a news conference in Romania.
“I think giving just a cash prize to gold medal winners is discriminatory and goes against the principle of solidarity.”
Kapralos said no discussions have taken place with either international federation since the recent announcement.
He said he was due to attend the European Athletics Championships in Rome later on Friday and indicated he might discuss the matter, but said he had not had any contact with the IBA.
“When it comes to boxing, there is no International Boxing Federation. There have been no discussions with them (IBA),” Kapralos said.
The IBA will not be organising boxing events at the Paris Olympics after being stripped of its recognition by the IOC last year following a series of problems including governance and finances.
The IOC has urged the creation of a new international organisation for the sport and warned that athletes from national federations that are members of the IBA rather than an IOC-recognised successor organisation will not be allowed to take part in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann and Toby Davis Editing)
