Olympic program working group Karl Stoss (second from left), IOC President Kirsty Coventry (second from right) and Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission Pau Gasol (right) attend a press conference at the 146th Session of the IOC in Lausanne, Switzerland, Wednesday. (EPA-Yonhap) The International Olympic Committee has decided to provide athletes competing in the Olympics with a $10,000 participation grant per person instead of prize money.The move is aimed at offering universal benefits to all athletes who reach the Olympic stage, rather than limiting rewards to medalists.According to the Associated Press, the IOC announced during its 146th Session held Wednesday in Lausanne, Switzerland, that it would create a fund worth up to $140 million to directly support athletes through the 2028 Summer Olympics.The first beneficiaries will be approximately 2,900 athletes who competed at the 2026 Winter Olympics.The same program will then apply to more than 11,000 athletes competing at the Los Angeles Games, with a total of $110 million allocated specifically for LA 2028.Any athlete who meets the IOC's fairness standards — including having no doping violations — will be eligible to apply for the $10,000 payment after the conclusion of the Games.(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)