Paralympians and Olympians will now earn equal pay-outs for medal performances.

Payments will be retroactively distributed to include successful athletes from the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang where the US finished top overall of the medals table.

It is part of a continued effort to direct more resources to athletes.  

"Paralympians are an integral part of our athlete community and we need to ensure we’re appropriately rewarding their accomplishments," new USOC chief executive Sarah Hirshland said.

"Our financial investment in US Paralympics and the athletes we serve is at an all-time high, but this was one area where a discrepancy existed in our funding model that we felt needed to change.

"I’m thrilled that we’ve brought parity and equality to our Operation Gold programme and we're eager to continue to build on Team USA’s success in Pyeongchang."

Operation Gold provides monetary rewards to athletes who earn medals at Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"The Board has been discussing this change for several months and following consultation with Paralympic athletes, the Paralympic Advisory Council and an endorsement from the Athletes Advisory Council, I’m really glad we were able to take this important step," Cheri Blauwet, a USOC Board member, said.

Medallists will now receive $37,500 (£28,500/€32,000) for each gold earned at the Paralympic Games, $22,500 (£17,000/€19,000) for silver and $15,000 (£11,500/€12,500) for bronze.

The US won 36 medals and topped the medal table Pyeongchang 2018 - the first time they had finished first since Tignes-Albertville 1992. 

This retroactive increase will place more than $1.2 million (£918,000/€1 million) awarded to Pyeongchang 2018 medallists. 

In December 2016, the USOC increased its Operation Gold payments to medal winners, meaning American athletes’ accomplishments would be recognised more than ever.

The USOC announced that money paid to athletes would increase "significantly" for the 2017-2020 quadrennium.

Payments at the this year's Winter Olympics increased by 50 per cent after American success at Rio 2016, where the country won 121 Olympic medals and 115 at the Paralympics.

The Olympic tally was the highest the country had ever earned at a non-boycotted Games.

Money paid for World Championship medals in non-Games years was also increased by 25 per cent.