A gaggle of worldwide sports activities federations say World Athletics’ determination to award prize cash on the Paris Olympics “undermines the values of Olympism and the distinctiveness of the Video games”.
Final week World Athletics introduced it’s going to turn into the primary federation to supply prize cash at an Olympics this summer time.
Gold medallists in athletics occasions will earn $50,000 (£39,400).
In an announcement, the Affiliation of Summer time Olympic Worldwide Federations (ASOIF), stated it was “neither knowledgeable nor consulted”, regardless of World Athletics being considered one of its members.
It stated that the federations it represents have “expressed a number of issues”.
“One can’t and mustn’t put a value on an Olympic gold medal,” it stated.
“Not all sports activities might or ought to replicate this transfer, even when they needed to. Paying prize cash in a multi-sport surroundings goes in opposition to the precept of solidarity, reinforces a special set of values throughout the sports activities and opens up many questions.”
It added that “there was consensus that Olympic revenues ought to, at the least for the extra commercially profitable and financially impartial worldwide federations, be invested as a precedence into growth and integrity issues… it seems that World Athletics’ newest initiative opens relatively than solves a lot of advanced points.
“ASOIF will elevate these issues with World Athletics and can proceed to advertise dialogue amongst its members and the IOC.”
Given the Olympics’ origins as an novice sports activities occasion, the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) doesn’t award prize cash however distributes funding by way of worldwide federations, and nationwide Olympic committees.
World Athletics’ transfer, which shall be prolonged to silver and bronze medallists for the 2028 Video games, was extensively praised by former athletes when it was introduced by its president Lord Coe.
In response to ASOIF’s assertion, World Athletics stated: “Awarding this prize cash to gold medallists in Paris 2024, after which extending it to all medallists in LA 2028, is about underscoring our unwavering dedication to empowering the athletes and recognising the essential position they play within the success of an Olympic Video games.
“It’s not possible to place a marketable worth on profitable an Olympic medal. However we predict you will need to be certain that a number of the revenues generated by our athletes on the Olympic Video games are straight returned to those that make the Video games the worldwide spectacle that it’s.
“That is the continuation of a journey World Athletics began again in 2015, which sees all the cash acquired each 4 years from the IOC’s income share allocation (roughly $40m) go straight again into our sport.”
It added “80% of all World Athletics’ revenue goes straight again into the game”.
Earlier this week, David Lappartient, the pinnacle of biking’s governing physique the UCI, stated World Athletics’ determination went in opposition to the Olympic spirit.
Andy Anson, the pinnacle of the British Olympic Affiliation (BOA), was additionally essential, saying he didn’t assume it was “notably applicable or useful”, and risked making a two-tier Olympics.
Some nationwide Olympic committees supply monetary rewards to their medallists, although the BOA doesn’t.