Two years before the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, the road to the world’s biggest sporting event has already begun for thousands of athletes. While some are looking to establish themselves among the elite and others are trying to qualify for the first time, a total of 1,516 athletes from 176 National Olympic Committees and 39 sports are supported by Olympic Solidarity scholarships, a program of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) designed to ensure that talent does not depend solely on financial resources.
The scholarships provide monthly support to cover essential aspects of the sporting journey, including training, equipment, physiotherapy, travel, and participation in qualifying competitions. Beyond the financial contribution, the initiative aims to level the playing field for athletes from different backgrounds, allowing them to focus on their preparation with Los Angeles 2028 firmly in their sights. For the 2025–2028 Olympic cycle, the IOC will invest USD 71 million in the program, reinforcing a policy that has supported the development of high-performance sport around the world for more than two decades.
Support that allows athletes to focus solely on competing
Behind every scholarship is a different story, but with one common goal: reducing the barriers that often affect athletes’ preparation. For many competitors, the opportunity to train without the constant worry of daily expenses represents a decisive advantage in both performance and their chances of qualifying for the Olympic Games. The Olympic Solidarity program is specifically designed to provide those opportunities, particularly for athletes from countries with fewer resources dedicated to high-performance sport.
One of the beneficiaries is Armenian gymnast Artur Davtyan, a four-time Olympian and silver medallist at Paris 2024. Looking ahead to Los Angeles 2028, the athlete says the scholarship allows him to focus entirely on his preparation. “The Olympic Solidarity scholarship helps me stop thinking about everyday expenses, freeing my mind from that burden and allowing me to focus more on my training,” Davtyan explained. The gymnast also highlighted that being part of the program is a recognition of his career and an additional source of motivation to pursue his ultimate goal: becoming an Olympic champion.
A program that already proved its impact at Paris 2024
The results achieved during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games reflected the impact of this initiative. Of the 604 scholarship recipients who competed in the French capital, representing 171 National Olympic Committees across 24 sports, they won a total of 75 medals: 26 gold, 20 silver, and 29 bronze. Beyond the medals, the program enabled several countries to achieve historic results, confirming that access to better preparation can translate into world-class performances.
One such example is Zambian sprinter Muzala Samukonga, who won the bronze medal in the men’s 400 metres at Paris 2024 and is now approaching the new Olympic cycle with renewed confidence. “After winning the bronze medal at the 2024 Olympic Games, I became convinced that I am capable of anything. It was my first Olympic Games, and I won a medal, so it motivates me greatly to know that I can achieve even more at Los Angeles 2028,” the sprinter said. Similar stories can also be found in athletes such as Lao rhythmic gymnast Laos, Praewa Misato Philaphandeth, who says the financial support allows her to cover training, competition, and physiotherapy expenses while easing the financial burden on her family and inspiring the next generation of gymnasts in her country. Since Sydney 2000, the IOC has invested more than USD 260 million in the program, supporting more than 12,000 athletes worldwide, with that investment continuing to grow on the road to Los Angeles 2028.
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