It is a decision which could shower even more gold on the figurehead of the world pole vault, the Swede Armand Duplantis, who once again broke his world record, Saturday April 20 in Xiamen (China), for the opening of the Diamond League. As the headliners of athletics begin their final preparations, less than a hundred days before the Paris Olympic Games – which will be held from July 26 to August 11, 2024 – the international federation of the premier discipline has announced the establishment of bonuses, which will be paid to gold medalists at the next Olympics.
A nest egg of 50,000 dollars (47,000 euros) per victorious athlete, which mainly delights those who will benefit from it, but worries other federations, as much as the Olympic authorities. For the association bringing together summer Olympic sports (ASOIF), which was not consulted upstream, this initiative “raises more complex questions than it resolves”, and intends to inform World Athletics of “ concerns” of its member federations.
Unable to grant such sums to the athletes under their control, these other sports federations have expressed a certain dissatisfaction. “The proposal was not discussed” with the rest of the Olympic movement, lamented Thursday David Lappartient, president of the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), regretting a “change in Olympic values”.
“Good progress.”
This unexpected spotlight comes as the athletics elite gather from Saturday April 20 in Xiamen (China), for the first meeting of the Diamond League. A big run-in for the stars of the track, before the inevitable summer deadline.
If the light brought by Armand Duplantis’ new world record would have been enough to attract attention, these bonuses are not however shunned by the main stakeholders, who see it as a very good initiative. Starting with the Swedish pole vaulter’s former rival, the French Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie, titled at the London Games in 2012: “It’s good progress, [which] will increase the importance of a victorious performance. »
But this growing distance from amateurism, central to the founding of the modern Games by Pierre de Coubertin, raises many questions. The Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ACNOA), considers, for example, that this measure goes against the principle of “solidarity”, pointing in particular to the bailout of “the bank accounts of non-needy athletes rather than to help those who need it most.”
Pressure put on other sports
It remains difficult, even unattainable for certain disciplines, to hope to see figures such as the American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, or the record breaker Mondo Duplantis emerge. These bonuses could thus create situations of conflict, as noted by the head of the British Olympic committee, Andy Anso, to the Sky Sports channel: “It is clear that other sports will be subject to scrutiny. , or even pressure from athletes who will say, “What about our sport, how come this sport can do it and we can’t? », before adding. This is a debate we can have, but we must have it at the right time, in the right place, and together. »
For the moment, no international federation has announced that it wants to imitate World Athletics. That of tennis indicated that any plan of this type should be “designed in consultation with the ASOIF and the International Olympic Committee”, and that of basketball recalled that it was already supporting “its member federations in various ways, to cover their costs of organizing or participating in selection competitions. »
In any case, few sporting bodies could offer such rewards to their athletes, the international athletics federation being one of the members best endowed by the IOC, alongside gymnastics and swimming, in addition to its own resources, from the TV rights of its competitions.
Contacted by Agence-France-Presse, World Athletics defended its “unwavering commitment to athletes” on Friday, deeming it “important” to donate part of Olympic revenue “to those who make the Games the spectacle that they are.” .
