FINA Nearly Doubles Prize Money Awards for World Short Course Championships

Beginning in 2014, at the Short Course World Championships in Doha, FINA will increase the amount of prize money awarded to $897,000, plus $15,000 for each World Record. That is a 95% increase over the $460,000 awarded at the 2012 World Short Course Championships in Dubai, with the same World Record bonus.

There are 46 events at the Short Course World Championships, which are the more minor of the two championships, meaning that each event will have $19,500 worth of cash to be awarded. Previously, there was $10,000 available per event, awarded $5,000 to each winner, $3,000 to each runner-up, and $2,000 to each third-place finisher.

FINA has also changed exactly how they will distribute the prize money. Now, they will award prizes down to 6th place in each race.

While this is still only half of the prize money that’s awarded at the long course World Championships, it should significantly increase the participation of the world’s top athletes that had been lacking. It should especially increase the participation from countries like South Africa, where athletes have been expected to fund their own trip, but might now see a positive return-on-investment.

FINA didn’t specify exactly how they would distribute the money to the top 6 places, and emails to them were not returned on Sunday, but for the long course World Championships in 2013, the payouts were $15,000 for 1st, $10,000 for 2nd, $5,000 for 3rd, $4,000 for 4th, $3,000 for 5th, and $2,000 for 6th. If we assume that FINA will simply halve these numbers for Short Course Worlds, which would be a fair but not certain assumption, then the payouts would be as follows:

1. $7,500
2. $5,000
3. $2,500
4. $2,000
5. $1,500
6. $1,000

Note: relays will divide the prize for their earnings among relay members.