CANBERRA – Almost half of Australia’s elite athletes earn below the poverty line, a survey has found, Xinhua reported.
The Australian Sports Foundation (ASF) on Wednesday published the results of a survey of 604 athletes who have competed at international or national level. The survey revealed that 46 per cent earn less than 23,000 Australian dollars (US$14,909) per year.
Among participants aged 18-34, two-thirds said they have considered quitting their sport, and over 40 per cent noted their financial situation is deteriorating.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) sets the poverty line in Australia at 25,428 Australian dollars (US$16,478.3) per year for a single adult.
ASF Chief Executive Patrick Walker responded to the findings with a stark warning. “This is the green and gold decade, with so many such events for us to look forward to, but they are nothing without the athletes,” he said in a media release.
Half of those surveyed targetting the 2026 Commonwealth Games considered leaving their sport. This sentiment was shared by 43 per cent of those aiming to represent Australia at the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.
Earlier in March, Matt Carroll, chief executive of the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), spoke to the National Press Club about sports funding, revealing a two billion Australian dollars (1.2 billion U.S. dollars) shortfall. This has led athletes’ families to bear the costs associated with elite competition. Carroll emphasised in his speech that without urgent funding, Australian sport would decline, costing the nation gold medals.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Bronte Campbell, the current president of the Australian Swimmers’ Association, spoke out about the challenges. “There’s definitely been years where if I hadn’t had success in the previous year, I don’t know how I would have made it work,” she said.- Bernama
