World Athletics don announce say dem go become di first international federation to award prize moni for di Olympic Games.
Di global governing bodi tok say dem don make available a total prize pot of $2.4m (£1.9m) for dis summer Olympics for Paris, and gold medallists go receive $50,000 (£39,400).
Dem go extend dis ogbonge awoof to silver and bronze medallists for Los Angeles 2028.
World Athletics president Lord Coe call di decision “pivotal moment”.
48 athletics events go dey for Paris, wit relay gold medallists wey go share dia prize moni among di team.
“Di introduction of prize moni for Olympic gold medallists na key moment for World Athletics plus di sport of athletics as a whole. E show our commitment to empower di athletes and recognise di critical role dem dey play for di success of any Olympic Games,” Coe tok.
“While e no dey possible to put marketable value on winning Olympic medal, or on di commitment and focus e take to even represent your kontri for Olympic Games, I tink e dey important we start somwia and make sure some of di revenues wey our athletes generate for di Olympic Games dey directly return to dose wey make di Games di global spectacle e be.”
Greg Rutherford, wey win gold for long jump for London 2012, say “Dis na brilliant step in di right direction and I take my hat off to Seb Coe plus di rest of di World Athletics staff for initiating dis improvement.”
Di former British athlete tok say di way pipo dey reason Olympic as unprofessional sport no be lie.
World Athletics tok say dem go announce di format and structure of prize moni for di 2028 Games wen di time reach.
Who fit benefit from di athlete award
World Athletics add say di payment of prize moni go depend on athletes wey don undergo di usual anti-doping procedure and wey dey cleared say e dey clean.
Sake of say di Olympics’ origins na amateur sports event, di International Olympic Committee (IOC) no dey award prize moni but dem dey distribute di fund through international federations (IF) and national Olympic committees (NOC).
Some national Olympic committees offer financial rewards to dia medallists, though di British Olympic Association no dey do am.
Di IOC say: “E dey up to each IF and NOC to determine how to best serve dia athletes and di global development of dia sport.”
‘Athletes dey sacrifice so much’ – Rutherford
Rutherford, wey also be Olympic bronze medallist for Rio for 2016, say e hope oda sports fit adopt di same approach as World Athletics.
“Athletes from around di world sacrifice so much to achieve di most difficult accolade in sport, to become Olympic champion – to stand for di top of di podium and hear as dem dey sing your national anthem na one of di greatest feelings you fit get,” e tok.
“But, di scrutiny wey di athletes dey always face – plus di comparisons to oda sporting success stories – dey always fail to mention di lack of financial support dem dey get.”
Di 2015 long jump world champion add say “I really hope say dem go fit support athletes across all sports by di multi-billion dollar IOC and dia efforts, no be just by individual sports, for di long-term health of di Olympic movement.
“We do dis for di love of di sport, but na also our livelihood.”
Swedish Olympic pole vault champion Armand Duplantis say World Athletics move na “step in di right direction”.
Meanwhile, Norwegian Olympic 400m hurdle champion Karsten Warholm tok say di prize moni no change im motivation to win Olympic gold medal, but e agree say na di “right direction” for building a professional sport.
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