Tokyo Paralympics 2020: A step forward towards pay equality

For the first time in the Paralympics history, the Paralympians will win the same prize money as the Olympians. The US Paralympians will receive equal pay as Olympians in Tokyo Paralympics 2020.

In the previous Paralympics, the US gold medalists won $7,500, US silver medalists won $5,250, and US bronze medalists $3,750. While on the contrary, there is a huge difference between the prize money of Olympians and Paralympians. The prize money for gold medalists is $37,500, $22,500 for silver medalists, and $15,000 for bronze medalists.

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After the 2018 Winter Olympics, the United States Olympic Committee decided to adjust the prize money for the Paralympians. A huge 400% increase has been made in the prize money. The 2018 Paralympians received the new amount subsequently. But Tokyo Paralympics 2021 will witness equal pay for all the Paralympians and Olympians from the beginning.

USOC CEO Sarah Hirshland stated in the 2018 statement, "Paralympians are an integral part of our athlete community and we need to ensure we're appropriately rewarding their accomplishments. Our financial investment in US Paralympics and the athletes we serve is at an all-time high, but this was one area where a discrepancy existed in our funding model that we felt needed to change."

On this historical change, Tatyana McFadden said The Lilly, "It makes me feel like we're just like any other athlete, just like any Olympian". She also revealed that equal pay makes her feel "valued" like the Olympians. Tatyana McFadden is the Russian-American wheelchair racer Tatyana McFadden, the winner of 17 medals.