Track Will Be First Sport to Pay Olympic Gold Medalists

Winners in Paris will get $50,000 each from track and field’s governing body, as Olympic amateurism continues to fade away.

The long-held ideal of amateurism at the Olympics has faded away.Credit...Michel Euler/Associated Press Track and field will be the first sport to give direct cash payments for Olympic gold medals, the sport’s federation announced Wednesday.

For decades, the Olympics trumpeted the ideal of amateurism. It took pride in being a competition where elite athletes battled for nothing more than the joy of representing their country.

Amateurism was touted as the best way to keep sports clean, fair and honest. “Professionalism” was looked down on as vulgar and mercenary. But the…