With the issue of athlete underpayment getting the limelight, a significant effort has been made to address the same. Be it the onset of leagues like Grand Slam Track and Athlos NYC or the World Athletics announcing a handsome $50,000 reward for the Paris gold winners. Add to that the brand endorsements and gifts that came in the gold medalist’s way. All in all, it can be said that the triumphant athletes will have quite a Happy New Year. Sadly enough, the same cannot be said about their Paralympic counterparts.

A recent study from CNN Sport has unearthed some somber details. In most of the countries, the Olympians and the Paralympians’ pay differ by a significant margin. And yes, we are talking in the range of hundreds of thousands of dollars! A major reason for this disparity is due to the Olympics and the Paralympics Committees being two separate governing bodies. Digging deeper, more shocking details came to the forefront. 

Hunter Woodhall’s earnings paint a gloomy picture for the Paralympians

The survey showed that while 42 countries showered their Olympic gold medalists with over $100,000, the number diminished significantly to 23 countries when it came to Paralympic athletes. Sadly, this disparity is evident even among Platinum entities like Hunter Woodhall. After winning the gold, Woodhall was allotted a bonus sum of $37,500 from the USA Olympic Governing Committee. However, there was also an extra $50,000 on offer from World Athletics. Unfortunately, Woodhall did not qualify for the amount as it was exclusively for the Olympic athletes. 

Speaking against the glaring discrepancy, Woodhall recently poked sarcasm at Noah Lyles. Giving details of his track and field earnings, the Paralympic gold medalist made an attempt to explain the sorry state of affairs. “Noah Lyles and Speed raced for $100,000. To put it in perspective, Noah Lyles made more on this than he made winning the Indoor World Championships… 30 grand, Outdoor World Championships, 50 grand, and even the Olympic Games, which he only made 50 grand. With Team USA, he made 87.5,” Woodhall stated. And Hunter Woodhall is not the only one to lash out at the inconsistency. 

Hannah Cockroft gets candid on the inferior treatment the Paralympians receive

Hannah Cockroft made history this year as she clinched her ninth Paralympic gold medal. Remaining unbeaten since the London Olympics in 2012, Cockroft is truly a legend of her sport. Unfortunately, despite her shining accolades and immense contributions to her country, the British Paralympian too, is not exempted from the disparity in payment. The Paralympian expressed her frustration at how her Olympic counterparts receive a lump sum amount from the World Athletics for identical deeds. 

Lashing out at the concerning state of affairs, Cockroft pointed out that Olympic gold medalists received a whopping £38,000 bonus. To put it into perspective, the legend stated that the amount was enough to cover for the entire expense of her upcoming wedding.

“It’s not thousands but it’s money. But yeah, it’s tough seeing the Olympic guys get the money from World Athletics and then we can’t replicate, it’s frustrating… We want parity and that’s what we push for every time,” said Cockroft. Overall, the track and field scenario looks quite the contrast when compared. And while the calls are getting louder, perhaps it is now high time that every athlete gets equal rights and payments for their accolades.