Programs

Athlete Excellence Fund

Athlete Excellence Fund
Athlete Excellence Fund

The COC’s Athlete Excellence Fund (AEF) is an athlete support and reward program that provides Canadian athletes with performance awards of $20,000, $15,000 and $10,000 for winning Olympic gold, silver or bronze medals. It also provides funding of $5,000 during non-Olympic years.

After the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the COC rewarded Canadian medallists with a record $1.7 million. Canada's 26 medals were the most in its Winter Games history, and the 14 gold medals were the most ever won by a single country at an Olympic Winter Games.

The COC rewarded Canada’s 2008 Olympic medallists in its first distribution of the AEF, distributing $515,000 between the 34 medallists.

The AEF is an evolution of the COC’s former Performance Recognition Support Program (PRSP), which was launched in 2003. The COC first introduced the concept of a direct athlete support and incentive program with its “Athlete Fund” in 1997.

Historically, the PRSP awarded $5,000 to each Canadian athlete finishing in the top-5 at World Championships or Olympic Games. In the fall of 2006, the COC’s Athletes’ Council – 12 of whom are Olympians – undertook an evaluation of the PRSP to determine whether it provided the most effective way to reward athlete performance.

The Athletes’ Council developed the criteria for the new Athlete Excellence Fund, which was then approved by the COC’s Executive Committee. Particulars of the AEF include:

• The total budget for the fund is $5.2 million over 2009-2012, with an average budget of $1.3 million per year. This is nearly double the amount of the previous PRSP.

• Unlike the previous PRSP, retiring athletes are eligible to receive the AEF funding since it is based on performances that have already taken place, not future performances.

• The application process for non-Olympic years is by invitation through the National Sport Federations.

• Funding follows a four-year cycle:
Year 1: Top 5 in the World - $5,000
Year 2: Top 5 in the World - $5,000
Year 3: Top 4 in the World - $5,000
Olympic Games: Gold medal - $20,000; Silver medal - $15,000; Bronze medal - $10,000

• Performance awards in Olympic years are the same whether the athlete is from a team sport or an individual sport.