Swimming

USA Swimming Announces Relay Incentive Program With $1 Million On The Line In Paris

March 15, 2023

USA Swimming announced a new relay incentive program on Tuesday that will give American athletes financial rewards for relay success at two upcoming major championship meets.

The new program, which will be focused on the seven relays contested at the Olympics (excluding the mixed 400 free relay which is only at Worlds), will see the entire U.S. team at both the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris earn bonus money if the U.S. sweeps the seven relays, or a lesser amount if they win in a medal in all seven.

Relay Events Part of Incentive Program

Women’s and Men’s 4×100 medley relays
Women’s and Men’s 4×100 freestyle relays
Women’s and Men’s 4×200 freestyle relays
Mixed 4×100 medley relay

At the upcoming World Championships in Fukuoka, $500,000 will be split among all pool and open water team members if the U.S. wins all seven relays, while the prize pool will be $150,000 if they reach the podium (but don’t win) all seven.

The incentive will see a significant boost for Paris 2024, as $1 million will be split among all pool and open water team members if the U.S. sweeps the relays, and $250,000 if they win a medal.

2023 World Championships Bonus Money

Sweep the seven Olympic relays – $500,000
Win a medal in the seven Olympic relays – $150,000

2024 Olympics Bonus Money

Sweep the seven Olympic relays – $1,000,000
Win a medal in the seven Olympic relays – $250,000

“This is an unprecedented incentive program with the ultimate goal of extraordinary relay success,” USA Swimming National Team Managing Director Lindsay Mintenko said.

“While many might see swimming as an individual sport, we at USA Swimming know that a team focus is the very core of our success. We have a proud tradition in Olympic and World Championship relays, and we hope to foster that culture and camaraderie in the next wave of athletes.”

If this program was in place for the 2022 World Championships, the U.S. athletes would’ve earned the $150,000 bonus, having won five gold medals along with a silver in the men’s 400 medley relay and a bronze in the women’s 400 free relay.

At Tokyo 2020, the U.S. won just two of the seven relays and failed to reach the podium in both the men’s 800 free relay and the mixed 400 medley relay.

U.S. RELAY PERFORMANCE – 2022 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Men’s 400 free relay – Gold
Men’s 800 free relay – Gold
Men’s 400 medley relay – Silver
Women’s 400 free relay – Bronze
Women’s 800 free relay – Gold
Women’s 400 medley relay – Gold
Mixed 400 medley relay – Gold

U.S. RELAY PERFORMANCE – TOKYO 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES

Men’s 400 free relay – Gold
Men’s 800 free relay – 4th
Men’s 400 medley relay – Gold
Women’s 400 free relay – Bronze
Women’s 800 free relay – Silver
Women’s 400 medley relay – Silver
Mixed 400 medley relay – 5th

For the Tokyo Olympic Games, the U.S. team featured a total of 53 swimmers, meaning that, if the bonus was on the line and they won it that year, each athlete would’ve received approximately $18,867.

The 2022 World Championships had 49 athletes across pool and open water representing the U.S., meaning the $500,000 prize purse for a relay sweep would’ve resulted in roughly $10,200 per athlete.

The $150,000 bonus, which the team would’ve gotten based on their performance if the program was in place, would’ve resulted in roughly $3,061 per athlete.

To qualify for a relay at the 2024 Olympic Games, federations will earn an automatic spot if they finish in the top three of the event at the 2023 World Championships. For nations finishing outside of the top three, they must post a top-13 time among competing federations in combined results from the 2023 Fukuoka meet and the 2024 World Aquatics Championships (Doha, Qatar) to earn a spot in Paris.

SwimSwam: USA Swimming Announces Relay Incentive Program With $1 Million On The Line In Paris