The Olympic rings on display at the Paris City hall FILE - The Olympic rings on display at the Paris City hall. Photo: Quentin de Groeve/Hans Lucas via AFP
SASCOC announced on Wednesday afternoon that athletes who earned medals at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, as well as their coaches, will be rewarded financially.
Gold medallists will walk away with R400 000, with their coaches due a cool R100 000.
The announcement of financial incentives was made at one of the Team SA announcement in Houghton on Wednesday. It comes after SASCOC were criticised following the last games when it was reported Tokyo gold medalist Tatjana Smith would not be awarded for her endeavours.
Silver medalists will walk way with R200 000, with their coaches getting R50 000. A bronze medal will earn an athlete R75 000, and their coach R25 000.
Wednesday’s event in Johannesburg was the first of three team announcements for the games, and was attended by swimmer Smith, as well as sports minister Zizi Kodwa.
Speaking at the event, Kodwa told the athletes to “go for gold” and urged them to represent South Africa well.
“Go for gold, and remember the significance of whom and what you represent. You represent the country; it is not about yourself. In many other countries, they think it is about winning – for you, it is about the aspirations of the country,” Kodwa said when addressing the athletes at Wednesday’s event.
He continued: “That is the impact you have as athletes when you participate globally. And I am here to express my pride and joy in the role sport played, and continue to play in building South Africa – the positive mood sport inspires the nation. It fosters nationhood, national unity and cohesiveness.”
Smith, who will be taking part in her second Olympics, spoke about how special it was to be named part of the team, even though she has experienced it all before.
“It is my second time, and it does not mean less. It is still very special, and I will go there with the same expectations as I did for Tokyo,” Smith said.
“I am going to go there and enjoy the races, because being at the Olympics alone is already an achievement. We have trained well and we will do our best, and if it means we come out champions, then that’s good.”
Next week, SASCOC will unveil the Olympic kit, with a further two separate announcements of the rest of the squad scheduled for later.
IOL Sport
Related Topics: