The International Olympic Committee approved a new Olympic athlete grant on Wednesday at its 146th session in Lausanne, held near Olympic Day and at the end of Kirsty Coventry’s first year as IOC president. The meeting also received the final recommendations from the new working groups created under Coventry’s “Fit For The Future” program, which examined athletes’ role and rights, the Olympic Games program, the Olympic movement’s values and impact, and revenue and brand engagement.
After a presentation by former basketball star Pau Gasol, the incoming chair of the Olympic Athletes’ Commission, Coventry announced the creation of a new Olympic fund. Under the decision, every Olympic athlete will receive a $10,000 grant after taking part in the Games. The program will already apply to athletes who competed in the Milan 2026 Winter Olympics, according to criteria that will be presented to athletes.
The IOC also approved a new scoring system for sports seeking entry into the Olympic program. From now on, evaluation will be based on disciplines, rather than on entire sports, and the ranking will use an objective analytical review of factors including global universality, number of athletes worldwide, public interest measured by viewing figures and ticket demand, management quality, and adoption of Olympic values.
Another approved reform changes the process for selecting host cities for the Olympic Games, affecting the choices for 2036 and 2040. The new model combines analytical reviews with a fixed timetable and restores IOC member involvement. It also sets 2029 as the year in which the host city for the next Summer Games will be chosen.
The agenda also highlighted sports neutrality and the separation of sport and athletes from political conflict, reflected in updates to the IOC rules. Yael Arad, chair of the Israel Olympic Committee and an IOC member, said the past year had involved intensive work in small groups to update the organization’s vision for the coming Olympic cycles. She added that she was proud of Coventry’s leadership in creating the special fund and the new grant, saying it showed the IOC’s “huge appreciation” for the athletes’ journey to peak achievement.
