The European Olympic Committees (EOC) president, Spyros Capralos, condemned World Athletics (WA)’s decision to award prize money to gold medalists at the Paris 2024 Olympics, calling it discriminatory and against Olympic values. WA, led by Sebastian Coe, announced $50,000 for each of its 48 Olympic champions in Paris, but will not offer prizes for silver or bronze medalists until the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Meanwhile, the International Boxing Association (IBA) will provide monetary rewards to all medalists at the Paris Games, with $100,000 for gold, $50,000 for silver, and $25,000 for bronze.

These decisions have irked the IOC and other federations that were not consulted. Capralos, also an IOC member, stressed that athletes compete for Olympic values, not money, and noted that many countries already offer bonuses through their National Olympic Committees. Additionally, the IOC has urged for the creation of a new global boxing body, warning that athletes affiliated with the IBA could be barred from the 2028 Olympics.