Yohan Blake challenges Kirsty Coventry on Olympic athlete pay

Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake and track and field analyst Dwayne Extol have sharply rejected comments from International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry, who said she does not support paying athletes to compete at or win medals at the Olympic Games.

Coventry, an Olympian for Zimbabwe, said the Olympic movement should focus on using IOC resources to support athletes through wider development initiatives, Olympic solidarity funding and career transition programmes, rather than direct prize payments.

Blake, who won silver in both the 100 metres and 200 metres at the London 2012 Olympics, responded on Instagram by arguing that athletes need money to cover the demands of elite competition. He pointed to expenses such as supplements, recovery and the daily strain of training, saying athletes are expected to deliver performances that entertain fans while also facing a difficult cost of living.

The Jamaican sprinter said Coventry’s personal experience should not be used as the standard for all competitors, adding that those in leadership should be asking how they can assist athletes instead of opposing payment.

Extol, speaking on Fame 95 FM’s Sports Grill, described the IOC president’s position as troubling and said it was unreasonable to tell young athletes, their families and coaches that competitors should not be compensated at the Games. He argued that such views reflect privilege and fail to account for the financial struggles many athletes face.

He also said athletes are central to the Olympic business model, noting that sponsorship depends on their participation. Without the competitors, he argued, there would be no sponsorship, no Games and no senior posts for administrators.

The discussion comes against reporting in January by sports and politics websites on the 2021 to 2024 Olympic cycle, which indicated that more than US$55 million was paid to IOC directors. The reports said that figure exceeded what top-tier Olympic federations, including World Athletics, received from IOC revenues.