The US track and field scene had a great run during the Paris Olympics, as they won a medal in almost every category they competed in. Thus, most of the athletes deserve to be well rewarded for their contributions. However, it seems that the reality is quite different from this. Athletes are not being helped much by the USATF. This was revealed recently by an Olympian themselves.

On December 7th, US hurdler Alaysha Johnson put out a tweet where she exposed the amount of money given to Olympic athletes for every day they spend in Paris. It was quite a low figure considering the amount of hard work put in by the track stars to participate in the competition.

Alaysha, who finished seventh in the 100m hurdle finals, wrote the tweet with quite a sarcastic undertone, saying, “The USA just sent out the per diem for the Paris Olympics that happened in August. It was $190. Go Team 😂🤪” Thus, athletes only got $190 per day during their stay in Paris, and that too after months. Clearly, she wasn’t really happy about it either.

This angered the track and field community as they felt that participating in a competition of the magnitude of the Olympics must give the track stars way more financial incentives as they dedicate their precious time and a huge part of their lives to excel in it. Such low remuneration isn’t good and won’t pan out well for the future of the sport.

Track and Field community left unhappy with Paris Olympics remuneration

Most fans of the sport were left unhappy with the recent Paris Olympics developments. They felt that it was heavily unfair on the athletes to be paid such a small amount. Many of these track stars spent thousands of dollars to get up to the mark training facilities and spent years there trying to make it to the Olympics. To give them such a small reward of $190 feels greatly unfair.

One fan said, “190 dollars per day? Or total? Even 190 dollars per day is disgraceful.” Thus, this is not a great look for the USATF. Numerous other fans expressed the same sentiment on social media, as they seemed genuinely shocked by the amount. “That’s pitiful, all that grind and sacrifice for 190,” said another.

There seems to be a chance that other top athletes of high caliber who’ve already built great careers in track and field like Sha’Carri Richardson and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone may have received the same remuneration. If that is true, this is not a good look for the sport, as these people have already dedicated most of their lives to the sport and should be given what they deserve. “Insulting 😒” said one fan.

However, things get worse when one realizes that athletes who participate in NCAA competitions get more than the ones participating in the Olympics. This has now suddenly made college athletics more lucrative than professional athletics, with the introduction of NIL also playing a part in it. This does not bode well with the future of the sport, as many wouldn’t see the point of competing after college. “We got more in college 😭 that’s insane,” said one fan.

Another fan’s comment also shows the threat that the low financial support of the Paris Olympics could bring to the future of the sport. “This is why my kids are not running track; I do miss it and loved it, but the returns are so disrespectful financially,” said the fan. New athletes entering the sport might lessen if drastic action is not taken soon by the USATF about the financial support of the track stars. Hopefully, they look into the matter diligently.