TEN million dollars will be available in prize money for athletes next year, sources in the sport said yesterday.

The figure will be announced by International Amateur Athletic Federation president, Primo Nebiolo, at a news conference today following a two day IAAF's council meeting in Monaco which concluded on Wednesday night, the sources said.

The IAAF will award prize money at next year's world indoor and outdoor championships for the first time, as well as at the Grand Prix final, scheduled for Fukuoka, Japan. Paris will host the indoor championships and Athens will stage the outdoor version.

The IAAF's commitment to almost trebling its prize money, plush awarding cash bonuses of $100,000 for athletes setting world records in Athens, comes at a time when the federation has still to find a sponsor for its grand prix circuit. According to the sources, the federation had been given only $8 million by the International Olympic Committee from its Atlanta revenues.

"The total value from ticket sales alone in Atlanta for athletics was $72,497,407," they said. "That does not include television rights or sponsors. Our athletes put on the show and the IOC get to keep the money. Our development programme alone costs $5 million a year."

At its meeting, the council decided to award the 1998 Grand Prix final to Moscow, ahead of Helsinki and Palma de Mallorca in Spain. Japan gains another major meeting, with Maebishi hosting the 1999 World Indoor championships ahead of Lisbon.