Prizes for Paralympic Gold Medalists Reflect Inequality for Many
- Tokyo 2020 marks the first time U.S. athletes are paid equally
- Paralympic national committees’ funding issues stymie equity
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When the Tokyo Paralympic games begins on Aug. 24, many of the athletes taking their place on the podium may find themselves left with cash prizes that are smaller than their Olympic counterparts, running against the event’s ideals of promoting equality.
Among major nations, both Australia and Canada don’t give out cash prizes to medal-winning Paralympians even though funds exist for Olympic medalists. Meanwhile, host country Japan’s renumeration for gold medal winners will be around 2 million yen ($18,200) less for Paralympic athletes compared to Olympic champions.