Track and field becomes first sport to pay prize money at Olympics. Paris gold medalists get $50,000

Track and field is set to become the first sport to introduce prize money at the Olympics, with World Athletics saying Wednesday it would pay $50,000 to gold medalists in Paris.

The move is a symbolic break with the amateur past of the Olympics in one of the games’ most-watched events.

The governing body of athletics said it was setting aside $2.4 million to pay the gold medalists across the 48 men’s, women’s and mixed events on the track and field program for this year’s Paris Olympics. Relay teams will split the $50,000 between their members. Payments for silver and bronze medalists are planned to start from the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.