It was to be expected. The Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) has in turn joined the camp of opponents of World Athletics and its decision to award a bonus of $50.000 to the gold medalists of the Paris 2024 Games. Meeting at the end of the week spent in Athens, its executive committee published an entire press release dedicated to this issue, where it expressed its “ concerns” and announces its support for the recent position, hostile to the World Athletics initiative, of the Association of International Summer Olympic Sports Federations (ASOIF). An initiative which, according to ANOC, “ threatens to undermine the principles of solidarity that are at the heart of the Olympic movement”. The authority continues: “ The Olympic Games cannot be compared to any other event and the unique values of Olympism, embodied by athletes from all nations, must be protected and preserved (…) The Executive Council stressed that the decision to award or not athlete awards should remain at the national level and is better coordinated by NOCs and governments with the aim of celebrating national performances in all sports. » Quick to criticize the decision of World Athletics, ANOC has never raised the slightest reservation about the medal bonuses granted by governments and by its own members, the national Olympic committees, including the differences between one country and another. other sometimes turn out to be considerable. At Paris 2024, for example, a gold medal will bring $35.000 to an American athlete, 80.000 euros to a Frenchman, and at least 5 million HK dollars (600.000 euros) to a Hong Konger.
