- Parents of Olympic athletes will have to pay a fortune to go to Paris
- Stars will not receive free tickets for friends and family.
- It means costs will run into the thousands.
The families of Olympic stars competing in Paris will be forced to shell out thousands of dollars to support their loved ones, and the huge costs of attending the Games will be laid bare.
Athletes have been told they will not receive free tickets for family or friends in France, where the Olympics will be held next month.
It means those who have helped fund their children’s sporting activities will have to foot a hefty bill if they want to go watch their loved one compete for gold.
Ariarne Titmus’ family says they expect to pay $20,000 to watch the swimming sensation’s race in Paris, while former Australian netball star Caitlin Bassett highlighted that parents whose children must compete in multiple qualifying events are at a financial disadvantage. .
“During my netball career we weren’t allocated free tickets to major events like the Commonwealth Games or World Cups,” she told News Corp.
The huge costs of following your loved ones to the Olympics have come to light
Families of Olympic stars will not receive free tickets to events in Paris
‘At the 2015 World Cup in Sydney we played eight matches in total (five group matches and three finals) and on the morning of the gold medal match we were emailed an invoice for tickets for the entire tournament and one of my teammates was faced with a $5,000 bill. .’
Swimming tickets are priced at approximately $370 for the heats, $1,100 for the semi-finals, and a staggering $1,600 for the final.
Titmus is competing in three individual events, but due to demand and limited seating, his family will not be able to watch all of his races poolside.
Fellow Australian Olympian Matilda Kearns took to social media to share her frustrations with the cost of a ticket for her family to watch her compete in water polo.
The Stingers play four preliminary rounds, then three finals, with ticket prices increasing as the gold medal match approaches.
Caitlin Bassett (R) exposed the enormous costs of following loved ones
Athletes’ families also have to pay for flights, food and accommodation.
Sam, the mother of Olympic boxer Tyla McDonald, arranged an apartment in Paris in advance and got it for $19,000.
“Being responsible for putting your loved ones under financial stress only increases the pressure to perform,” Bassett added.
“You have to make sure the result is worth the huge bill, or even that a gold medal can generate some financial rewards that can be used to help with the costs.”
