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 would grow to be the primary federation to supply prize cash at an Olympics this summer season.
Gold medallists in athletics occasions will earn $50,000 (£39,400).
In an announcement, the Affiliation of Summer season Olympic Worldwide Federations (ASOIF), stated it was “neither knowledgeable nor consulted”, regardless of World Athletics being one in every of its members.
It stated that the federations it represents have “expressed a number of considerations”.
“One can not and shouldn’t put a value on an Olympic gold medal,” it stated.
“Not all sports activities may or ought to replicate this transfer, even when they wished to. Paying prize cash in a multi-sport surroundings goes towards the precept of solidarity, reinforces a unique set of values throughout the sports activities and opens up many questions.”
It added that “there was consensus that Olympic revenues ought to, no less than for the extra commercially profitable and financially unbiased worldwide federations, be invested as a precedence into growth and integrity issues… it seems that World Athletics’ newest initiative opens reasonably than solves quite a few complicated points.
“ASOIF will elevate these considerations 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 unattainable to place a marketable worth on profitable an Olympic medal. However we expect you will need to be certain a number of the revenues generated by our athletes on the Olympic Video games are instantly 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 obtained each 4 years from the IOC’s income share allocation (roughly $40m) go instantly again into our sport.”
It added “80% of all World Athletics’ earnings goes instantly again into the game”.
Earlier this week, David Lappartient, the top of biking’s governing physique the UCI, stated World Athletics’ determination went towards the Olympic spirit.
Andy Anson, the top of the British Olympic Affiliation (BOA), was additionally essential, saying he didn’t assume it was “significantly 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.
