PHOTO: Bildbyrån
An Olympic gold in athletics in Paris is worth over half a million kroner.
A historic news that has passed the Swedish Olympic champion Daniel Ståhl past.
– Cool! says the 31-year-old discus thrower.
Just under a month ago, it was announced that the International Athletics Federation (World Athletics) will reward gold medalists in the Paris Olympics this summer with around 540,000 kroner (50,000 dollars).
All other athletes have to settle for the glory, just as it has been in all previous Olympic Games for all sports. The Swedish discus star Daniel Ståhl however, had no idea about the historic decision.
– It would have been great if it had turned out that way, says Ståhl when TT asks about his view of the prize money.
TT must inform him that it is clear that this will be the case.
– Okay. Cool! says Ståhl, who won Olympic gold in Tokyo 2021.
Ståhl’s happiness
So you welcome that development?
– Many sports and many athletics do not have it so easy. We throwers aren’t doing so well either, really. It’s only gold if you get any prize money.
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Sebastian Coepresident of the Athletics Federation, said in a statement that it is about “part of the revenue generated by the athletes at an Olympic Games being given to those who make the Olympics the global spectacle that it is.”
– It’s cool to see that athletics is showing that progress. I think swimming will follow, said the Swedish swimming star Sarah Sjostrom to TT a few weeks ago.
The money comes from the income that the IOC (International Olympic Committee) distributes to the various Olympic sports, but the choice of route has attracted criticism.
The Organization of the Summer Olympic Federations (ASOIF) considered that “it undermines the Olympic values and the uniqueness of the Olympics”.
– Everyone thinks differently and so on, says Daniel Ståhl and continues:
– I think that all athletes deserve to get a little money actually. We toil and train so hard and try to do our best in all contexts.
READ MORE: Lasse Granqvist now says what everyone thinks about Niklas Wikegård in the most open-hearted tribute: “It’s important to say”
“They are pig-rich”
Also Armand Duplantis won Olympic gold in 2021 in Japan and has welcomed the announcement.
– They (World Athletics) want to do well for their own athletes. But you could also think that the IOC, which is rich in pigs, might start thinking about introducing some prize money, the pole vaulter told Expressen in April.
The International Association of Athletics Federations plans to reward all medalists at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
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