IOC breaks 130-year tradition, pays athletes $10,000 at Milan-Cortina Games

The International Olympic Committee has broken with 130 years of tradition by deciding to pay athletes to compete at the Olympic Games, according to the Guardian. The IOC has established a £106 million fund to compensate all competitors, with Milan-Cortina 2026 becoming the first Winter Olympics where athletes will receive direct payment. Each competitor at the Italian Games will receive $10,000.

The shift marks a fundamental change in Olympic economics. For more than a century, the Games have relied on athletes competing without direct compensation from the IOC, though host nations and national Olympic committees have sometimes provided stipends. The decision reflects growing pressure to recognise the commercial value athletes generate through their participation and the financial burden many face in preparing for and competing at the Games.