The head of the British Olympic Association (BOA) criticizes World Athletics’ announcement that gold medalists at the Olympics in Paris will get financial prizes. This announcement has caused controversy.
A 128-year tradition is being broken, and Andy Anson, the chief executive of BOA, is joining the clamor of people who are opposing Sebastian Coe’s commitment to pay gold medal winners in Paris $50,000 (£40,119).
Within the sporting community, the decision has sparked debate and brought attention to the fine line that exists in the world of athletics between tradition and modernity.
“The announcement made last week, in my opinion, wasn’t all that wonderful because when one sport takes off and does something on its own, neither the national Olympic committees nor the IOC are involved.” Anson quoted The Guardian.
The UCI, whose president, David Lappartient, voiced disappointment at the lack of prior debate, is one of the sports federations that have been caught off guard by World Athletics’ daring decision to create a $2.4 million prize pool for gold medalists at the Paris tournament.
Boa and funding
Lappartient underlined the revenue-sharing and inclusivity that have long been hallmarks of the Olympic movement, arguing that rather than focusing funding just on elite athletes, the goal should be to increase athlete participation worldwide.
This development highlights more general discussions in the sports community concerning how to strike a balance between compensating excellence and guaranteeing fair distribution at all levels of competition.
Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, France’s minister of sports, said that moving the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games to the Stade de France would only occur in an “absolute disaster,” with the river Seine march being canceled and the ceremony being simplified to only speeches.
She reaffirmed France’s commitment to safety and success while reassuring the public that there is no special terror danger for the July 26 event. She also underlined France’s preparation with backup plans in case of a serious security problem.
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