Nearly half of Australian elite athletes living below poverty line – survey

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has urged the government to invest more money in sport after a survey of elite athletes found nearly half were living on incomes that placed them below the poverty line.
The survey of by the Australian Sports Foundation (ASF), a charity that raises money for sport, found that 46% of elite competitors were living on less than A$23,000 ($14,860) a year.
Many of the 2,304 athletes surveyed said the situation was getting worse as the cost of accommodation and travel rose, while two thirds of females said their mental health had been impacted by the stress of trying to make ends meet.
Worryingly for Australian hopes of a good showing at the Brisbane Olympics, the survey revealed that 43% of athletes hoping to compete at the 2032 Summer Games had considered giving up their sports.