USA Swimming Announces Relay Incentive Program With $1 Million On The Line In Paris

USA Swimming announced a new relay incentive program on Tuesday that will give American athletes financial rewards for relay success at two upcoming major championship meets.

The new program, which will be focused on the seven relays contested at the Olympics (excluding the mixed 400 free relay which is only at Worlds), will see the entire U.S. team at both the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris earn bonus money if the U.S. sweeps the seven relays, or a lesser amount if they win in a medal in all seven.

Relay Events Part of Incentive Program

• Women’s and Men’s 4×100 medley relays
•  Women’s and Men’s 4×100 freestyle relays
•  Women’s and Men’s 4×200 freestyle relays
•  Mixed 4×100 medley relay

At the upcoming World Championships in Fukuoka, $500,000 will be split among all pool and open water team members if the U.S. wins all seven relays, while the prize pool will be $150,000 if they reach the podium (but don’t win) all seven.

The incentive will see a significant boost for Paris 2024, as $1 million will be split among all pool and open water team members if the U.S. sweeps the relays, and $250,000 if they win a medal.

2023 World Championships Bonus Money

• Sweep the seven Olympic relays – $500,000
• Win a medal in the seven Olympic relays – $150,000

2024 Olympics Bonus Money

• Sweep the seven Olympic relays – $1,000,000
• Win a medal in the seven Olympic relays – $250,000

“This is an unprecedented incentive program with the ultimate goal of extraordinary relay success,” USA Swimming National Team Managing Director Lindsay Mintenko said.

“While many might see swimming as an individual sport, we at USA Swimming know that a team focus is the very core of our success. We have a proud tradition in Olympic and World Championship relays, and we hope to foster that culture and camaraderie in the next wave of athletes.”

If this program was in place for the 2022 World Championships, the U.S. athletes would’ve earned the $150,000 bonus, having won five gold medals along with a silver in the men’s 400 medley relay and a bronze in the women’s 400 free relay.

At Tokyo 2020, the U.S. won just two of the seven relays and failed to reach the podium in both the men’s 800 free relay and the mixed 400 medley relay.

U.S. RELAY PERFORMANCE – 2022 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Men’s 400 free relay – Gold
• Men’s 800 free relay – Gold
• Men’s 400 medley relay – Silver
• Women’s 400 free relay – Bronze
• Women’s 800 free relay – Gold
• Women’s 400 medley relay – Gold
• Mixed 400 medley relay – Gold

U.S. RELAY PERFORMANCE – TOKYO 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES

• Men’s 400 free relay – Gold
• Men’s 800 free relay – 4th
• Men’s 400 medley relay – Gold
• Women’s 400 free relay – Bronze
• Women’s 800 free relay – Silver
• Women’s 400 medley relay – Silver
• Mixed 400 medley relay – 5th

For the Tokyo Olympic Games, the U.S. team featured a total of 53 swimmers, meaning that, if the bonus was on the line and they won it that year, each athlete would’ve received approximately $18,867.

The 2022 World Championships had 49 athletes across pool and open water representing the U.S., meaning the $500,000 prize purse for a relay sweep would’ve resulted in roughly $10,200 per athlete.

The $150,000 bonus, which the team would’ve gotten based on their performance if the program was in place, would’ve resulted in roughly $3,061 per athlete.

The last time the U.S. swept the relays at the Olympics came on home soil in Atlanta in 1996, while at the World Championships, the last time came back in 1978, prior to the women’s 800 free relay being on the program.

To qualify for a relay at the 2024 Olympic Games, federations will earn an automatic spot if they finish in the top three of the event at the 2023 World Championships. For nations finishing outside of the top three, they must post a top-13 time among competing federations in combined results from the 2023 Fukuoka meet and the 2024 World Aquatics Championships (Doha, Qatar) to earn a spot in Paris.