ASC invests additional $2 million to support athletes ahead of Paris 2024 Games

The Australian Sports Commission is investing an additional $2 million to financially support athletes and their families as they prepare for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The ASC note that "to win medals in an increasingly competitive environment, many athletes must train full-time, which is why this financial support is needed."

A valuable uplift to direct Athlete Income Support (dAIS) grants is aimed to alleviate some of the financial pressure during preparation for the Games.

Today’s announcement sees the maximum support an athlete can receive via dAIS rise to $37,500.

Those identified to have the greatest potential to contribute to Australia winning medals at major international events will receive an additional one-off payment on top of their annual dAIS grant allocation.

ASC Chief Executive Kieren Perkins shared “The athletes we are supporting get little exposure outside of their pinnacle events every four years. Many are living at home and training full-time for little financial reward. This small boost will ensure their preparations and wellbeing are not negatively impacted by financial pressures.

“The ASC thanks the Australian Government for their support of our athletes who will inspire millions of Australians when they take on the world in Paris next year.”

dAIS is a means-tested grant program to ensure funding is allocated to the athletes who have the greatest need for financial support.

dAIS grants are supporting 850 athletes this financial year, with a total investment of $16.6 million.

This top-up in dAIS grant funding follows the $20 million Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Preparation Fund announced by the Australian Government in July which is directly supporting national sporting organisations to get more athletes and coaches to key qualification and pre-Paris competitions ahead of the Games.

It also enabled an additional 56 high performance projects to be greenlit and enhance Australia’s prospects for medals at the Paris 2024 Games.

Athletes preparing for the 2026 Winter Games and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles have also received a funding boost this year.