Coe’s $50,000 prize money move for athletes will damage the Olympics | Cath Bishop

Brilliant athletic performance, incredible spectator experiences, a demonstration of global human capability driven by a sporting philosophy based on wholesome values (albeit somewhat tarnished over time).

To suggest otherwise would insult any Olympian and muddy the reality that what gets you out of bed on a cold, wintry morning to train three times that day is certainly not the possibility of a cash prize.

This move further damages the image that audiences and particularly youngsters watching their sporting idols see – that the drivers and rewards of brilliance are purely material: bonuses, prizes, money and medals.

In fact, the world of sport and all our lives are crying out for greater attention and investment in the intrinsic values of purpose and belonging to a community.

Audiences (and competitors) across sport beyond the Olympics more widely have been turned off by the increased commercialisation and commoditisation of athletes (alongside corruption and cheating scandals).

In the process of announcing this new bold move, Lord Coe pointed out its greatest flaw: you can’t put a price on an Olympic gold medal.