We believe in paying athletes

Recent comments from The International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry, questioning the idea of paying athletes at the Olympic Games, have sparked international debate. While Coventry later clarified her remarks, the Finnish Athletes’ Association (Suomen Urheilijat ry) says the discussion highlights a deeper issue: how athletes are valued within the Olympic movement.

For Olympic-level athletes, the journey is defined by years of commitment, financial uncertainty and personal sacrifice. Yet even at the peak of their careers, many are unable to fully benefit from the value they create.

Olympian and board member Jasmi Joensuu says the tone of the conversation matters.
- As an athlete, I would hope to hear communication from the IOC where respect for athletes comes first, she says. That kind of leadership would also shape how national systems support their athletes.

Joensuu highlights a key contradiction:
- Every athlete at the Games has worked for years towards that moment, often without any guarantees. Reaching the Olympics is a huge milestone – but at the same time, athletes are restricted from showcasing their own sponsors, which takes away an important source of income.

She adds that recognition needs to be visible in practice, not just in principle:
- Respect isn’t just words. It should be reflected in how athletes are treated and compensated at the biggest stage in sport.

Athletes create the value – but don’t share it

The Finnish Athletes’ Association is calling for a shift toward a fairer revenue-sharing model, including participation payments for all Olympians and performance-based prize money.

- Athletes are the reason the Olympic Games exist, says Chair Teemu Ramstedt. The commercial value of the Games is built on their performances, their stories and their visibility. It’s not sustainable that a system generates billions while fundamentally opposing direct payments to athletes.

The IOC has traditionally justified its model through redistribution to federations, national Olympic committees and development programmes. However, the Finnish Athletes’ Association argues that this still leaves athletes themselves on the margins.

From principle to practice

The association stresses that reform should benefit all athletes, not just medal winners.

- The solution isn’t to pay no one. It’s to build a system where all Olympians are recognised for reaching the Games, alongside rewards for top performances, Ramstedt says.

Joensuu agrees the issue is about fairness across the whole athlete community:
- The Olympics are the result of thousands of athletes committing years of their lives. That contribution deserves to be acknowledged more concretely.

Call for an open discussion

Esa-Pekka Mattila, Chair of the Finnish Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission, also calls for open discussion.
- Increasing the economic recognition of athletes is essential for the sustainability of elite sport. Athletes should receive a fair share of the value they help generate, he says.

For the Finnish Athletes’ Association, the message is clear:
- Athletes are not asking for charity, Ramstedt concludes. They are asking for a fair share of the value they create. Without athletes, there is no Olympic Games.