World Athletics' decision to grant bonuses to gold medalists sows discord with other federations. World Athletics received nearly $40 million after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as well as after the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
If the financial impact of the Paris Games (July 26-August 11) is not yet known, the international federation assures that it will also pay bonuses to silver and bronze medalists from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. "Since the beginning, the Olympic champions have not received any money," says David Lappartient, the president of the International Cycling Union (UCI), referring to a change in Olympic values. "I think this is their way of showing that they want to push even harder for this to become a professional sport,' says Norwegian sprinter Karsten Warholm. But the proposal was not discussed with the rest of the Olympic movement, lamented the head of the UCI, David L appartient. The decision of World Athletics contradicts the idea that the funds allocated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to World Athletics are used for the development of the sport.