Nigeria, April 10 -- Nigerian athletes like Tobi Amusan and Ese Brume have an extra incentive to chase gold at the Paris Olympics: a $50,000 prize for gold medal winners. This historic decision by World Athletics means that Olympic champions will now be awarded prize money directly for their accomplishments. World Athletics, on Wednesday, revealed a prize of $50,000 for all gold medallists in the 48 athletics events in Paris.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said in a press release on Wednesday, "The introduction of prize money for Olympic gold medallists is a pivotal moment for World Athletics and the sport of athletics as a whole, underscoring our commitment to empowering the athletes and recognising the critical role they play ...