IOC launches $100 million athlete grant program for Olympians

The International Olympic Committee moved to direct athlete compensation on Wednesday, committing more than $100 million to a new grant program that will give every Olympian a $10,000 payment after the Games. The policy, branded the Fit for the Future Olympian Grant, marks a sharp turn for an organization that has long defended the amateur ideal and resisted cash awards tied directly to Olympic participation.

Pau Gasol Sáez, speaking in his role as chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, announced the program during the 146th IOC Session in Lausanne, Switzerland. The grant will be open to athletes at all Olympic Games for the first time in history and is designed to support either a sporting career or the transition to life after competition. The committee also set aside a $140 million fund per Olympiad to finance the program.

The first athletes eligible are those who competed at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, with nearly 2,900 athletes expected to apply for the initial round. The grant is meant to support athletes at all stages of their professional and sporting lives.

That gap is especially acute outside marquee events where sponsorships and appearance fees can cushion the cost of training. For skiers, lugers, wrestlers, rowers and other non-superstar Olympians, a $10,000 grant can cover coaching, equipment, recovery, rent or travel during the next training cycle. The policy does not label the payment prize money, but it still moves cash directly to athletes after they compete.

The scale will expand again at the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games, where about 11,000 athletes are expected to compete. Under the IOC’s framework, those athletes could collectively qualify for about $110 million in grants after the Games if they meet eligibility rules, including anti-doping requirements such as not testing positive for doping.

Gasol emphasized athletes’ well-being, mental health, financial security and futures during the announcement.