Olympic athletes will each be eligible for a $10,000 grant for competing in the Games under a new scheme announced by the International Olympic Committee on Wednesday.

The "Fit for the Future Olympian Grant" will even retroactively be dished out to those who took part in February's Winter Olympics in northern Italy.

"The grant has been set up to support the sporting career or the career transition of Olympians," an IOC statement said. "A fund of $140 million per Olympiad has been set aside."

The announcement came from former Spanish basketball player Pau Gasol during the 146th IOC Session in Lausanne, Switzerland. He is the chair of the IOC's Athletes’ Commission.

Payment at Olympics has always been a thorny issue given the original ideals of the movement were based on amateur sport.

But modern times have required a new approach, especially with athletes in some countries struggling for government-sponsored support and not every sports person being able to market themselves with lucrative sponsors.

"This grant will be available to every Olympian," Gasol said. "Not just medal winners. Not just athletes from certain countries. Every Olympian. Because, while every athlete's journey is different, every Olympian has made sacrifices to reach the Olympic stage."

The only Olympians not eligible are those that have committed an anti-doping rule violation, or violated the IOC code of ethics, the conditions of participation, or the Olympic Charter.

"It has been a topic of conversation for many years, and I am extremely proud that we are now able to do this," IOC president Kirsty Coventry said.

Short timeframe between 2036 Games and host selection

The IOC has also changed the procedure for awarding future Games.

The selection process will include an additional review phase and IOC members will once again have a greater say in the final decision on the host city.

Under the new rules, the 2036 Summer Games – for which India, Germany and Qatar could bid – will not be awarded until mid-2029. The first pre-selection is to be completed in March 2027.

In the past, there was repeated criticism of the IOC's procedure for awarding the Olympics via an open bidding war and corruption allegations were rife.

Under the leadership of former IOC chief Thomas Bach, two commissions were set up in 2019 that have since led negotiations with Olympic bidders and made the preliminary decision to award the Games to a candidate largely in private.

But critics have complained this system is also not transparent and that the decision is made by only a small group within the IOC.

Now the IOC at its special summit has annouced a tweak to those rules. The existing "continuous dialogue" phase will be followed by a "strategic dialogue" where detailed plans and financial guarantees are to be submitted.

Preferred hosts then enter "targeted dialogue" with the IOC leadership before finalists then present themselves to all IOC members for a vote at a session.

Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, IOC member and chair of the Future Host Commission said: "Choosing an Olympic host is a powerful and influential decision, which comes with great responsibility. It is therefore important that we make the right choice, through careful and thorough reflection."

The unanimous decision on the changes taken at the extraordinary session in Lausanne could inject fresh momentum into the selection of a German candidate.

It is possible that the shorter timeframe between the award and the opening of the 2036 Olympic Summer Games will favour candidates who, like Germany, rely on many existing venues and have experience of hosting major events.

If the IOC continues to consider continental rotation as a factor, the issue of whether Brisbane 2032 counts as a broadly Asia-Pacific host might influence if Asia gets the nod in 2036 or not. The last Summer Games were in Paris in 2024 and Los Angeles hosts in 2028.

The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) will decide on September 26 at its special general assembly in Baden-Baden whether Berlin, Munich or the Rhine-Ruhr region, centred on Cologne, will be nominated and for which Games.

The DOSB has already officially registered its interest with the IOC in hosting the 2036, 2040 or 2044 Summer Games.

Turkey and Hungary are keen on 2040, with Northern England and Madrid also possibly entering the race.