JOA supports IOC’s decision to pay Olympic athletes

President of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) Christopher Samuda has signalled his support of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to begin paying athletes to compete at the Olympic Games.

The IOC recently made the decision to reverse its 130-year policy of amateurism and will begin directly paying Olympic athletes.

The first set of athletes who will receive payment are those who competed at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games.

Every athlete who competed at the Winter Games is eligible to receive a grant of US$10,000, approximately Ja$1.5 million, which they will receive six months after the competition if they do not fail a doping test or violate the Olympic charter.

Pau Gasol, head of the IOC Athletes' Commission, said the funding will be available to every single athlete, regardless of their placement at the Games.

“This grant will be available to every Olympian,” said Pau Gasol, the head of the IOC’s athletes’ commission. 

“Not just medal winners, not just athletes from certain countries, every Olympian. Because, while every athlete’s journey is different, every Olympian has made sacrifices to reach the Olympic stage, years of dedication, years of hard work, years of believing in a dream.”

Samuda praised the decision by the IOC and said it is a step forward for the international governing body.

He described the funding as an extension of the IOC’s policies and believes it will go a long way towards athlete development.

“Athlete welfare and development historically and currently gain support through Olympic Solidarity Scholarships and other IOC activations in partnership with National Olympic Committees,” Samuda said. 

“But this commendable move will facilitate athletes, once they have satisfied integrity and other stipulated criteria, having direct access to funding which is an outgrowth of IOC policy framework.”

He added, “The decision is an extension of the IOC's policy framework and, indeed, ‘Olympism’ of placing athletes at the centre of development strategies, and, therefore, it is not surprising at all. 

SUPPORTING ATHLETES

Samuda said the JOA stands in support of any venture which seeks to support athlete development, and said they also provide funding to both athletes and coaches.

“The JOA introduced several years ago, and continues to grant direct funding to not only athletes but coaches, as part of our business development model. So we welcome this decision,” the JOA boss explained.

“It is a critical investment strategy in the human capital of sport which is, for us, non-negotiable. The athlete is the cornerstone of the infrastructure of sport and its sustainability around which the commercial, business, cultural, and social architecture of sport is built. Without the tools of trade in sport, the field of play will be barren.”

Six Jamaica athletes will be eligible to receive funding for their participation at the Milan Cortina Winter Games, including Shane Pitter, Junior Harris, Tyquendo Tracey, Joel Fearon, Mica Moore and Henri Rivers.