Payday coming for Olympic athletes

For the first time in history, every athlete at the Olympic Games will be eligible for a new USD 10,000 “Fit for the Future Olympian Grant”. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) grant has been set up to support the sporting career or the career transition of Olympians.

A fund of USD 140 million per Olympiad has been set aside, with the first athletes to benefit from this initiative to be the Olympians who competed February 6-22 at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

This is one of the first actions taken as part of the “Fit for the Future” strategic framework to find new and complementary ways to provide support to athletes with their long-term sporting endeavors or career transition. With this new fund, the IOC is delivering immediately on its commitment.

The Fit for the Future Olympian Grant complements the existing support programs. About 14,000 Olympians per Olympiad are expected to be eligible for a grant of USD 10,000 for each edition of the Olympic Games in which they compete.

The grant will be delivered through existing National Olympic Committee (NOC) structures. If an Olympian chooses not to apply for this grant, their allocation will remain in the fund to benefit future Olympians.

The grant will not decrease or detract from already existing support provided by the IOC to the NOCs, International Sports Federations, Organizing Committees for the Olympic Games, or Olympic Solidarity. –  Read on