LAUSANNE, Switzerland, June 24 (Xinhua) -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday announced a new program that will provide direct financial support to Olympic athletes, with every Olympian becoming eligible for a one-time grant of 10,000 U.S. dollars.
The initiative, called the "Fit for the Future Olympian Grant," is designed to help athletes either continue their sporting careers or transition into life after elite competition.
"The grant has been set up to support the sporting career or the career transition of Olympians," read an IOC statement.
The IOC said it has allocated 140 million dollars for each four-year Olympic cycle, or Olympiad, to fund the program.
Athletes who competed at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, will be the first to benefit from the initiative.
The announcement marks a significant shift in the IOC's approach to athlete welfare. Although the organization has long distributed revenue through national Olympic committees, international federations and athlete support programs, it has not previously offered a universal direct payment to every Olympic athlete.
The initiative forms part of the IOC's broader "Fit for the Future" reforms, introduced under newly elected IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who has made athlete support one of the key priorities of her presidency.
The IOC did not immediately provide further details on how or when athletes will receive the grants, or whether future eligibility criteria would apply beyond participation at the Games. ■
