In previous Olympics, US Olympians won $37,500 for gold medals, while US Paralympic athletes won just $7,500 for each gold medal. This year, the playing field is finally being evened with the announcement that Paralympic athletes will be paid as much per medal as their Olympic counterparts.
The decision was initially announced by The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) in 2018, and although Paralympic athletes did receive higher compensation than usual at the 2018 Olympics, the Tokyo games will mark the first time in which they receive equal pay.
“Paralympians are an integral part of our athlete community and we need to ensure we’re appropriately rewarding their accomplishments,” said USOC CEO Sarah Hirshland.
To celebrate this move towards equality, you can watch the Paralympic games live! The games begin on August 24 and end on September 5.
