Seb Coe: “I’ve always been committed to making life a little easier for athletes”

World Athletics president explains the thinking behind “historic” move to award $50,000 to Olympic gold medallists in Paris

Seb Coe insists that World Athletics’ move to become the first international sports governing body to award prize money at the Olympic Games is the latest step in a commitment to improve the support given to athletes.

In what the organisation described as a “landmark”, “historic” and “pivotal” moment, it was announced that Olympic gold medallists in athletics disciplines at this summer’s Games in Paris will each receive $50,000.

A total prize pot of $2.4 million has been ring-fenced from the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) revenue share allocation, which is received by World Athletics every four years. The $50,000 prize will go to winners of the 48 track and field events, with athletes in relay teams sharing the money.

There is a further commitment to extend the prize money at a tiered level to Olympic silver and bronze medal winners at the LA Olympics in four years’ time.

“I’ve always been committed where I possibly can to making life a little bit easier for the athletes and I hope this does that,” said Coe, the men’s Olympic 1500m champion in 1980 and 1984. “There is a big distinction between our World Championships and the Olympic Games so if that contribution helps in allowing an athlete to stay in the sport for a little bit longer or to prepare in a more cohesive or strategic way then there’s a welfare element in all of that as well.

“It’s 40 years this year since I competed in Los Angeles. The world has changed a lot since then. When I started out in the British team, it was a 75p meal voucher, a second-class rail ticket or 10p a mile petrol or whatever was cheaper.”

Asked if it was right that additional money would be going towards athletes already at the top end of the earning scale in the sport when there are others who are operating on a financial knife edge, Coe added: “This is one element of the support mechanisms that we have in play in world athletics.

“Over the course of a four-year cycle, we commit $24 million to all our events, including World Championships indoors on our race walk cross country, World Youth, World Junior Championships, and this is an additional prize money pot of $2.4 million on top of that.

“Over the course of just one year, some $13 million goes into the development of our…