A near decade-long battle for New Zealand's top para athletes to gain funding equity with their able bodied counterparts could be close to an end.
The United States Olympic Committee has announced it will pay Paralympians and Olympians equally for medal performances.
New Zealand's top athletes don't get money directly for medal success but their Performance Enhancement Grants, or Pegs as they're known, are linked to top finishes at pinnacle events.
The chief executive of Paralympics New Zealand, Fiona Allan, says grants for Olympians are up to 20 thousand dollars greater than for Paralympians who achieve similar results and she is confident the issue she raised eight years ago may finally be resolved.
A Paralympian winning a gold medal at the Paralympics receives a $50 thousand grant while an Olympic athlete gets $60 thousand.
Silver and bronze medal winners at the Paralympics get $35 thousand while Olympic athletes who finish second or third get $55 thousand.
Paralympic success for the likes of swimmer Sophie Pascoe could finally reap the same funding benefits as Olympic athletes. Photo: Photosport
"There is disparity ...but I'm receiving feedback that we will be able to see change in the foreseeable future," said Allan.
"There has been amazing publich support with regard to our Paralympians over recent years. Since London 2012 and Rio in 2016 our Paralympians have become household names and it's one aspect which has helped us have those conversations with government about equity and parity," she said.
Allan said she doesn't want to see the US model of one off payments for medal introduced and believes the PEGS based system works better but does want funding parity.
Funding agency High Performance Sport New Zealand have agreed to review the figures, she said.
Paralympics New Zealand chief executive Fiona Allan. Photo: Photosport
"Paralymics is an integral part in my mind of the New Zealand athletic community and we need to ensure they are appropriately rewarded for their accomplishment.
"There is a lot of discussion around pay equity between female and males in the workplace but there is also inequity between disable athletes and non-disabled athletes.....I first raised this eight years ago and it has been a long time coming but they say good things are worth the wait," said Allan.
-RNZ
