Day one of the 146th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session has produced what many members described as a historic breakthrough for athletes, as International Olympic Committee President, Kirsty Coventry, unveiled a new athlete grant programme that will provide direct financial support to Olympians for the first time in Olympic history.

$10K grant initiative, one of the headline outcomes of the IOC’s year-long “Fit for the Future” consultation process, will offer eligible Olympians a grant of US$10,000 following participation in the Olympic Games.

The scheme is backed by an initial commitment of US$140 million from the IOC’s Olympic Foundation and will not affect existing distributions to National Olympic Committees or International Federations.

Speaking during the post-Session press conference yesterday, Coventry described the programme as a long-standing ambition rather than a reaction to recent criticism regarding athlete compensation.

“This is something I started looking into as soon as I came into office,” Coventry explained. “We need to find direct ways to support athletes. At the end of the day, we found a way to directly support all Olympians, and that is a priority.”

IOC Member and Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, Pau Gasol, hailed the announcement as a defining moment for the Olympic Movement.

“We listen to our athletes. They are the heart of our movement,” Gasol said. “This is an amazing and historic moment. It acknowledges the importance of being an Olympian regardless of where you finish or where you come from.”

According to IOC officials, athletes will be able to apply for the grant through the Athlete365 platform approximately six months after participating in an Olympic Games. The funds may be used either to support an athlete’s continued sporting career or to assist with education, business initiatives and career transition programmes after sport.

According to IOC, the amount was determined after reviewing existing Olympic Solidarity support mechanisms and athlete transition programmes.

Coventry noted that US$10,000 was considered a meaningful figure capable of helping athletes pursue further competition or providing seed funding for post-sport opportunities.

Gasol also revealed that athletes will have the option to decline the grant or redirect the funds toward future Olympians through dedicated support programmes.

Responding to a question from AIPS regarding whether the new athlete grant programme could be extended to Paralympians, Gasol confirmed that the initiative currently applies only to Olympians.

However, he stressed that the IOC would continue collaborating closely with the International Paralympic Committee to identify future opportunities for athlete support and to strengthen cooperation between the Olympic and Paralympic movements.