Five-time Olympic champion Sir Steve Redgrave has expressed concerns that awarding prize money to athletics gold medalists at Paris 2024 could lead to division between sports, creating an “us and them” scenario.
In April, World Athletics declared that it would introduce prize money at this summer’s Olympic Games, a first in Olympic history.
Each winner across the 48 events will receive 50,000 US dollars (£39,400).
By the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, prize money will extend to all medalists in track and field events.
Redgrave, who won rowing gold medals at five successive Olympic games between 1984 and 2000, said: “All those gold medallists in athletics are capable of earning significant money before and certainly after Paris so you’re giving money to people who already have it.
“It becomes an us and them situation. I did OK – although I made more money from retirement than I ever did in rowing – but I’m against it.”
Redgrave added he would prefer if “that money” was distributed “to other sports”.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not directly provide prize money but allocates funding through international federations (IFs) and national Olympic committees (NOCs).
While some national Olympic committees grant financial incentives to their medal winners, the British Olympic Association does not.
Rowing ‘fighting for survival’
Redgrave also warned that rowing “only survives internationally because of the money the international federation gets from competing at the Olympics”.
He added: “If that’s ever taken away our sport will die.”
Rowing has featured at every Games since 1900, with women’s events introduced at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.
It was set to appear in the inaugural Games in Athens in 1896, although poor weather forced the rowing events to be cancelled.
“You can argue whether we are relevant in today’s world, but we are a founder sport of the Olympics and I think we are [relevant],” added Redgrave.
“But there is debate over that if you are just going to support the media-friendly sports.”