Hannah Cockroft speaks out against the prize money disparity between Olympians and Paralympians. GETTY IMAGES

Wheelchair racing champion Hannah Cockroft is calling attention to the 'frustrating' disparity in prize money between Olympians and Paralympians. She reclaimed her title Sunday and is now just three golds away from legend Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson’s record.

It’s not the first time the four-time gold medallist in the 100m T34 has spoken about the ongoing challenges faced by Team GB Paralympians. Since her debut over a decade ago, Cockroft has been a patron for multiple charities and an advocate for disabled people’s rights and Paralympians, highlighting visibility and funding. 



The lack of prize money allocated to Paralympic athletes in comparison to their Olympic counterparts is frustrating not only for Cockroft but for many athletes representing Team GB. The 32-year-old said that medal bonuses she would receive from sponsors for the first time were 'not thousands’ like the £38,000 (45,000€) bonus received by Olympic champions

"I’m really lucky, this Games I have some incredible sponsors behind me who are giving me medal bonuses, it’s the first time ever that I’ll have sponsor medal bonuses, so it’s a massive step forward," she said. "It’s not thousands but it’s money. But yeah, it’s tough seeing the Olympic guys get the money from World Athletics and then we can’t replicate, it’s frustrating."

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe announced last April that Olympic gold medallists in track and field events in the Paris Olympics would receive $50,000 (45,000€).

Cockroft is set to defend her 800m crown on Saturday at 20:22 CEST in the Stade de France.