Record €3.5m prize fund for the 2028 European Athletics Championships in Silesia

[ArcMage14]

European Athletics has announced a record prize fund of €3.5 million, roughly £3m, for the 2028 European Championships in Silesia. It will be the first time Poland has hosted the event, which is the 28th edition of the championships. Gold medallists will get €30,000 each, and money will now go to everyone finishing in the top eight across all 50 disciplines. Relay teams will share their prize money between the squad

This is a big change from how things worked in Rome in 2024 and Birmingham this summer. Under the old Gold Crown idea, a pot of €500,000 was split into ten bonuses of €50,000 for the highest scoring performances based on World Athletics tables. That meant plenty of medallists went home with nothing extra at all, while a handful of standout marks were rewarded very well. The new setup treats every event equally, which feels much fairer to the lower profile disciplines

It is still worth keeping perspective though. World Athletics put up $10m for its new three day Ultimate Championship in Budapest, with $150,000 going to each event winner. By comparison €30,000 for a European title looks modest, and reports suggest eighth place will collect around €1,000. For an athlete paying for coaching, physio and travel, that bottom end is not going to change their year

Timing is interesting as well because 2028 is an Olympic year with LA taking centre stage. Top athletes plan their seasons around the Games, and the Diamond League final plus another Ultimate Championship are also on the calendar. Money might be the tool European Athletics is using to stop its flagship event being treated as an afterthought. Whether that works depends on how close it sits to the Olympics

On balance I think it is a welcome step even if it will not transform anyone's bank balance. Paying the top eight rewards the athletes who reach finals and fight for places, not just the stars. Would this make a difference to whether you tuned in or whether the big names turn up? Keen to hear views, especially from anyone who follows the sport closely

European Athletics Championships to have £3m record prize fund in 2028www.bbc.co.uk