WA to ‘significantly increase’ prize money at World Athletics Championships

WORLD Athletics has announced that it is substantially increasing the prize money for athletes at its flagship world championships, starting with the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, United States of America next year.

World Athletics explained on Sunday night that $2 million has been ringfenced from the fines paid by the Russian Athletics Federation for breaching the sport’s anti-doping rules, to go directly to athletes in the form of prize money at the World Championship in Oregon in 2022 and at the one that follows in Budapest, Hungary in 2023.

Speaking from the US Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: “The last 18 months have been really tough for thousands of athletes who make their living from competing in events around the world. While we have focused on helping meetings around the world stage as many events as possible over this period – more than 600 events – we know many athletes had a very lean year last year and are still experiencing challenges this year.

“Last year we also set up an athlete fund, supported by some generous donations, to provide some financial relief to those athletes most in need. 193 athletes from 58 countries were granted up to US$3000 to go towards basic living costs such as food, accommodation and
training expenses.”

World Athletics says it will fund the additional $1million per World Championships for the next two editions, with each of the 44 individual events receiving an additional $23,000 of prize money at each championship.

At the most recent World Championships in Doha in 2019, $7,530,000 in prize money was distributed to athletes who finished in the top eight of an event.

“While the intention is to see the new funds go to as many athletes as possible in leading positions, the Athletes’ Commission and Competition Commission will make a recommendation to the World Athletics Council on how the funds will be allocated. The additional US$1 million in prize money will form part of the host city contract from 2025 onwards,” the body noted.