Advertisement Elite Australian athletes are giving up on their dreams as their finances collapse in a COVID-hit economy - and that could leave the country red-faced if Brisbane succeeds in winning the right to host the 2032 Olympic Games, athlete advocates have warned. A new survey of 521 athletes conducted by the Australian Sports Foundation - a non-profit sports fundraising charity - found that about half of those who competed at national or international level, outside the big professional codes, were earning less than $23,000 a year from their sport and other work combined. About 75 per cent of respondents were competing at representative level. According to the survey, most earned less than the national minimum wage, which is $19.84 per hour or about $39,000 a year before tax.