Athletics sees Olympic Games revenue cut by IOC

                             

Athletics will get a lower share of Olympic revenues in the future after the International Olympic Committee recalculated federations' revenues according to their contribution to the Games.

The 26 sports federations at the London 2012 Olympics divided up £344 million based on their IOC ranking, with athletics, the flagship sport of the Games, expected to receive around £31 million as the only one in the top earning Group A.

However, the new plan for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 revenue distribution has five categories of sports instead of four, with athletics no longer enjoying all of the Group A pot.

Swimming

Gymnastics

"Athletics will get less money than in the past. Gymnastics and swimming have moved up to Group A," Andrew Ryan, executive director of the Association of Summer Olympic international Federations said.

Under the previous breakdown, Group B sports received about £14.6 million each, Group C £10.6 million and sports in Group D about £9.3 million.

Equestrian

Like athletics, it was bad news for equestrian, handball, hockey and modern pentathlon who dropped a level and will now be getting less.

For international athletics federation chief Lamine Diack, the reduced share did not change his sport's status within the Games.

Athletics

"We are the only universal sport in the Games," Diack said after the new groups were announced. "I have no problem with that. Gymnastics and swimming are nice sports. But why was there an Olympic stadium in London?

"For opening and closing ceremony and athletics. We filled it for nine straight days. The sport that will make the Games special is athletics. We will see what will happen with the revenues."

Boxing

Badminton

Table tennis, badminton, boxing, judo, archery, shooting and weightlifting are expected to benefit from the recalculation.