4 weeks ago
Olympics occurrence lit up of Paris games
The decision to springiness way and section golden medalists $50,000 astatine nan Paris Olympics is being criticized by Olympic sports bodies who said nan move "undermines nan values of Olympism and nan characteristic of nan games."
Last week, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe collapsed pinch contented erstwhile it announced that starting this summer, golden medalists crossed nan 48 events connected nan way and section programme would divided $2.4 cardinal from nan sport's stock of nan International Olympic Committee's multi-billion dollar income.
World Athletics sewage astir $39.5 cardinal from nan IOC for nan Tokyo Olympics held successful 2021.
"The preamble of prize money for Olympic golden medalists is simply a pivotal committedness to empowering nan athletes and recognizing nan captious domiciled they play successful nan occurrence of immoderate Olympic Games," Coe said successful a statement during nan announcement.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe
Gregorio Borgia / AP
Coe, a two-time Olympic champion successful nan men's 1,5000 meters and erstwhile lawmaker successful nan British parliament, said nan money acknowledged that "athletes are nan stars of nan show."
The International Olympic Committee does not salary prize money, though galore authorities governments and nationalist Olympic bodies do.
The break successful tradition, however, is not sitting good pinch nan Association of Summer Olympic Committee, which issued a connection connected Friday criticizing nan move.
"For many, this move undermines nan values of Olympism and nan characteristic of nan games," nan group, besides known by nan acronym ASOIF, said Friday. "One cannot and should not put a value connected an Olympic golden badge and, successful galore cases, Olympic medalists indirectly use from commercialized endorsements. This disregards nan little privileged athletes little down nan last standings."
In its statement, nan ASOIF said World Athletics did not pass nor consult them successful beforehand of past week's announcement and raised interest that it was done 1 time aft nan ASOIF General Assembly. Coe is simply a personnel of nan ASOIF ruling council.
"During nan past days, ASOIF's rank has expressed respective concerns astir World Athletics' announcement," nan group, based successful nan Olympic location metropolis Lausanne, Switzerland, said.
ASOIF suggested that "not each sports could aliases should replicate this move, moreover if they wanted to." Paying prize money "goes against nan rule of solidarity" and could return money distant from governing bodies' activity which was their work compared to commercialized promoters of sports events.
"If nan Olympic Games are considered arsenic nan pinnacle of each sport, past nan prize money should beryllium comparable to, and commensurate with, nan prizes fixed successful nan respective apical competitions of each sport," nan group said. "This is technically and financially unfeasible."
In its statement, ASOIF besides fueled speculation astir nan IOC statesmanlike title adjacent twelvemonth erstwhile Thomas Bach's 12-year limit expires. However, his friends want nan Olympic Charter changed to fto him enactment while Coe turns 68 this twelvemonth and could beryllium stopped by property limit rules.
The backlash from Olympic sports — whose leaders are among astir 100 IOC members who elite nan president — apt was predicted by Coe, who has elevated nan rumor of really to reward athletes successful nan often insular world of IOC politics.
The rate committedness was popular pinch United States athletes in various sports preparing to compete successful Paris, who tin gain $37,500 from their squad for golden medals, $22,500 for metallic and $15,000 for bronze. The Paris Olympics commencement connected July 26.
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