World Aquatics announced the prize money pool for the 2024 Short Course World Championships in Budapest.
$2.16 million USD in prize money will go to the top eight finishers in each individual and relay event. The winner of each event will receive $10,000. These figures are identical to the 2022 Short Course World Championships in Melbourne. The world record bonus of $25,000 is also the same as in Melbourne.
Compared to the 2021 Short Course World Championships in Abu Dhabi, the individual prize money from the two most recent meets is a 33.3% decrease. The world record bonus is half of what it was in 2021, going from $50,000 to $25,000.
| 2021 Breakdown | 2022 Breakdown | 2024 Breakdown | |
| 1st place | $15,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| 2nd place | $12,000 | $8,000 | $8,000 |
| 3rd place | $10,500 | $7,000 | $7,000 |
| 4th place | $9,000 | $6,000 | $6,000 |
| 5th place | $7,500 | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| 6th place | $6,000 | $4,000 | $4,000 |
| 7th place | $4,500 | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| 8th place | $3,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Total per event | $67,500 | $45,000 | $45,000 |
| World Record Bonus | $50,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 |
Note: Prize money for relay events is per team, not per athlete
The stagnation in prize money comes while World Aquatics is doing better than before financially. They recently released their 2023 financial report, which boasted a $22.4 million surplus between operating expenses and investment income.
The $2.1 million total is more than the $1.2 million 2024 World Cup guaranteed earnings but significantly less than the $5.6 million at the 2023 long course World Championships.
The figure is similar to the $2.4 million total that World Athletics offers at its indoor championships.
Prize money will be distributed to national swimming federations who are then responsible for distributing it to their athletes. This allows for a loophole for NCAA swimmers to receive prize money without NIL concerns.
The championships will take place from December 10-15 in the Duna Arena.
World Aquatics really broke the Bank on this one? How much are the tennis players getting in Riyadh right now?
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