Athletes who have huge potential to draw both live and television audiences expect to be rewarded financially for their skill and hours of dedication in training. However, large prize money at televised meetings does nothing to help future generations of athletes who need time off work and good facilities to achieve their potential. The only fair solution is to take a levy from top athletes' pay to ensure money is available to help the up-and-coming participants. Otherwise the burden will fall on the general taxpayer, or on the future athletes and their families, with the result that some will inevitably fail simply through lack of money.