Australian gold medal legend Sally Pearson slams Paris Olympics for appalling treatment of athletes – as she reveals stars’ shocking battle for survival

Olympic gold medallist and one of Australia’s greatest ever athletes, Sally Pearson, has criticised the Paris Olympics for failing to support athletes who make huge financial sacrifices to take part.

Pearson, who won gold in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2012 London Olympics, criticized organizers for failing to pay a living wage and expecting athletes to participate for free while the event rakes in billions of dollars.

She said competing at the Olympics is not all glitz and glamour, and that the opportunity to represent your country often comes with a heavy financial burden.

Pearson believes that athletes are being ripped off because they are not being paid to participate in the Olympics.

“They work just like everyone else, performing on a world stage not just for their own personal satisfaction but for our own good,” Pearson wrote for News Corp.

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‘It can usually be a heavy financial burden.’

Pearson talked about her own journey, which began at age six when she decided to be the best in the world.

“You don’t think about the sacrifices you have to make when you’re six, you just think about the end goal,” she said.

Sally Pearson had a stellar athletics career, winning a gold medal at the London Olympics, but said her time in the spotlight came at a high price

Pearson has revealed the huge financial sacrifices athletes have to make to compete in the Olympics, but they get no salary in return

Pearson turned professional at age 17 with an Adidas contract worth $15,000 a year, which she said was only enough for basic expenses.

She worked tirelessly to make a living as an athlete, stressing that “nothing is amateur anymore, not even the Olympics.”

Pearson contacted current Australian athletes to gain insight into their financial difficulties.

Women’s 400-meter hurdles competitor Alanah Yukich spent $6,000 competing in 16 days on two continents.

Yukich had to set up a GoFundMe page to help cover these costs. “It definitely helped ease the financial struggle for the Olympics,” Yukich said.

Tori West, who competed in the women’s heptathlon, spent $35,000, including the costs of her two coaches.

“It was a big gamble, but thankfully it paid off,” West said. Tayleb Willis, the lone 110m hurdles competitor, spent more than $10,000 on his trip to Canada before heading to France to join the Australian team.

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Pearson added that athletes have to travel around the world to qualify before being selected.

“Once the athlete is selected and in the preparatory camp, all living expenses are paid there and in the Olympic Village. That’s great in theory, but what about the living expenses that the athletes have to pay at home?” she asked.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) claims revenues from 2017 to 2020/21 amounted to $11.7 billion, 90 percent of which the umbrella organization returned to sport and athlete development.

Despite this, many athletes do not see any of that money and have to finance their Olympic dream themselves.

“They give up their jobs and often get paid to pursue a lifelong dream,” Pearson wrote.

While swimmers like Ariarne Titmus receive a lot of support, other athletes struggle to survive to represent their country because they are not paid by the IOC.

Pearson was particularly outraged by the expectation that athletes should be able to participate for free.

“Our Olympians don’t get paid to entertain us at the biggest sporting event in the world, the Olympic Games,” she said.

She drew a comparison, adding, “You can’t tell Taylor Swift, ‘Oh, by the way, your Eras tour is pro bono, so you’re not getting paid to entertain the audience. ‘”

Sports commentator David Culbert echoed Pearson’s sentiments, saying: “The starting gun goes off and 12 athletes compete in the finals, getting it for free. Then we see commercial breaks, all paying for advertising.”

“It may have worked for our first Olympic athlete Edwin Flack in 1896, but in 2024 it won’t work anymore.”