MONACO: In a first for an Olympic sport, gold-medallists in 48 athletics events of this year’s Paris Games will be awarded USD 50,000 by World Athletics, which will widen the spectrum by giving prize money to all three medal winners at the 2028 Los Angeles edition.

India is hoping for a gold medal in Paris from reigning Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, who finished on top in the Tokyo Games. He became the first Indian track and field athlete and second overall in individual sports to win gold in the Olympic Games.

With the landmark decision announced on Wednesday, World Athletics (WA) will become the first international federation to award prize money at an Olympic Games. The move could also cause friction between WA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as it does not have formal approval from the parent body.

This initiative by World Athletics also includes a firm commitment to extend the prize money at the LA 2028 edition as well.