#IAAF

[nando161mando]

Just a reminder that we used to do chromosome testing of athletes up until the mid to late 90s. We stopped because both male and female athletes kept finding out they were a different gender than they thought. And at least one elite athlete kept getting a different result every single time she tested, leading the IAAF to rule that the chromosome testing is "shown to be inconclusive in identifying maleness."

[calacuspr]

Calacus Monthly Hit & Miss – World Athletics and Sebastian Coe

Every month we look at the best and worst communicators in the sports world from the last few weeks.

WORLD ATHLETICS & SEBASTIAN COE

The Olympic Games is considered to be the pinnacle of sporting achievement for most sports.

The opportunity, every four years, to represent your country and compete against the world’s best underlines the importance of Pierre de Coubertin’s vision for the modern Games.

De Coubertin was committed to Olympic athletes being amateurs, with professionalism considered a risk to sport’s integrity.

There have been reports that  athletics and cycling events provided cash prizes as far back as 1900, with Britain’s Edgar Bredin receiving 250 francs  for his victory in the 100m.

Conversely, in 1912, Jim Thorpe was stripped of his track and field medals for taking money for expenses when playing baseball.

It would be a further 60 years before the strict rules on amateurism were relaxed, due in no small part to athletes in the Communist Eastern bloc bypassing the rules through their state-controlled ‘employment’ while training for sport full-time.

By the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, when Team USA fielded NBA all stars that swept to gold in the basketball, any hint at amateurism was over.

Athletes could secure lucrative sponsorships and endorsement deals, with national governing bodies providing financial assistance where they could, with 60% of National Olympic Committees giving bonuses to their athletes too.

But unlike other sporting competitions, the Olympic Games remained free of prize money until World Athletics made their surprise announcement in early April.

Starting at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games this summer, gold medallists in 48 athletic events will walk away with US$50,000 in prize money, with the rewards being extended to podium medallists from Los Angeles 2028 onwards.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: “The introduction of prize money for Olympic gold medallists is a pivotal moment for World Athletics and the sport of athletics as a whole, underscoring our commitment to empowering the athletes and recognising the critical role they play in the success of any Olympic Games.

“This is the continuation of a journey we started back in 2015, which sees all the money World Athletics receives from the International Olympic Committee for the Olympic Games go directly back into our sport.

“We started with the Olympic dividend payments to our Member Federations, which saw us distribute an extra US$5m a year on top of existing grants aimed at athletics growth projects, and we are now in a position to also fund gold medal performances for athletes in Paris, with a commitment to reward all three medallists at the LA28 Olympic Games.

“While it is impossible to put a marketable value on winning an Olympic medal, or on the commitment and focus it takes to even represent your country at an Olympic Games, I think it is important we start somewhere and make sure some of the revenues generated by our athletes at the Olympic Games are directly returned to those who make the Games the global spectacle that it is.”

Sport is nothing without its athletes, so rewarding them financially, when some are not attracting huge sponsorships and endorsement deals, could be seen as a positive step.

But when making such a momentous announcement in the history of the Olympic Games, World Athletics made a basic error which they could and should have avoided: they had not discussed or even informed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or other stakeholders ahead of making their statement.

“The one thing the International Olympic Committee has consistently recognised – and they’re right to – is the primacy of international federations to fashion their own futures,” explained Coe.

“I don’t believe this is remotely at variance with the concept that the International Olympic Committee often talks about, which is recognising the efforts that our competitors make.

“I am hoping the IOC would share in this principle, given their avowed commitment to make sure that revenues raised through the Olympic Movement find their way back onto the front line. I think they make the point that 80 or 90 per cent of that goes back.”

The IOC made a statement of its own, explaining how it spends the $7.6bn it made between 2017 and 2021 in revenues from the Olympic Games.

It has also provided training grants of up to $1500 through an IOC division called Solidarity, awarding over 1800 grants worldwide on an original budget of $32 million ahead of the Tokyo Games.

It said: “The IOC redistributes 90% of all its income, in particular to the National Olympic Committees and International Federations. This means that, every day, the equivalent of $4.2m goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world. It is up to each IF and NOC to determine how to best serve their athletes and the global development of their sport.”

That is where some of the problems lie – track and field is one of the highlights of the Olympic Games, but if other sports cannot afford to match the prize money, it could create conflict between the haves and the have nots.

The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) voiced their concern about the process as well as the context of the announcement.

The stated: “ASOIF was neither informed nor consulted in advance of the announcement, which was made one day after the ASOIF General Assembly and during SportAccord. As a matter of principle, ASOIF respects and defends the autonomy of each and every member federation. However, when a decision of one IF has a direct impact on the collective interests of the Summer Olympic IFs, it is important and fair to discuss the matter at stake with the other federations in advance. This is precisely why ASOIF was created more than 40 years ago, with the mission to unite, promote and support its members, while advocating for their common interests and goals.

“ASOIF has historically taken a close interest in the general issue of athlete compensation, particularly within the context of Olympic Agenda 2020 and vis a vis the professional leagues since 2014.

“During the last days, ASOIF’s membership has expressed several concerns about World Athletics’ announcement. First, for many, this move undermines the values of Olympism and the uniqueness of the Games. One cannot and should not put a price on an Olympic gold medal and, in many cases, Olympic medallists indirectly benefit from commercial endorsements. This disregards the less privileged athletes lower down the final standings.

“Second, not all sports could or should replicate this move, even if they wanted to. Paying prize money in a multi-sport environment goes against the principle of solidarity, reinforces a different set of values across the sports and opens up many questions.

“If the Olympic Games are considered as the pinnacle of each sport, then the prize money should be comparable to, and commensurate with, the prizes given in the respective top competitions of each sport. This is technically and financially unfeasible.

“Furthermore, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the owner and primary rights holder of the Olympic Games. IFs establish and enforce the competition rules at the Games.

“ASOIF fully agrees that athletes are at the centre of the Olympic Movement, and play a critical role in the success of any Olympic Games. However, it appears that World Athletics’ latest initiative opens rather than solves a number of complex issues.

“ASOIF will raise these concerns with World Athletics and will continue to promote dialogue amongst its members and the IOC. Unity and solidarity among ASOIF’s membership will remain crucial to ensure a healthy future of sports governance and the Olympic Movement at large.”

That was a fairly damning response to the news.

The Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) released a statement following consultation with athlete representatives.

“Some athlete representatives expressed concerns about the fairness of the proposal, which would result in only gold medallists from one sport being rewarded for their achievements. Concerns were also raised on the issue of clean sport, as by increasing the incentive to win even more, athletes may be at risk of betting, manipulation or pressure to turn to doping," the organisation said.

"Athletes' representatives welcomed the idea of rewarding athletes for their efforts and achievements as elite athletes, but this should not be at the expense of the solidarity model that supports and develops athletes at all levels of sport."

Coe was Chair of the British Olympic Association until 2016, but its current chief executive, Andy Anson, criticised the announcement.

"What wasn't great about the announcement last week is when one sport goes off and does something on their own, doesn't include the sports, doesn't include the IOC, doesn't include the National Olympic Committees," Anson told Sky News.

"They create a problem because now other sports are clearly going to get some scrutiny or even pressure from athletes saying, 'Well what about us? How can this sport do it and not others?'.

"I don't think it's particularly appropriate or helpful for one sport just to announce that. We've got to look at it holistically and make sure that we don't create a two tier system.”

Head of World Rowing, Jean-Christophe Rolland, was concerned about the lack of consultation before World Athletics made their announcement and commented: “I fully respect the WA decision as long it concerns athletes from their sport but at the Olympic Games it is not about your sport but all sports.

"I would appreciate if we had the discussion between us. This decision impacts not only athletes. It has other implications."

There were some supporters when the news broke, though.

Team GB’s most decorated Olympic swimmer. Duncan Scott, is all in favour of payments for Olympic medals.

He said: “I definitely think it would be welcomed within swimming. It's taxing so much on the body in terms of 20-plus hours a week in the pool and so many gym sessions. It can be really tough being a swimmer in GB but Aquatics GB seem like they're wanting to move it in a positive direction."

Coe is a seasoned politician, having become a Lord after a spell as a Member of Parliament in Britain and helping London win the 2012 Olympic Games before his positions in sports administration.

Putting the athletes at the heart of his strategy appears admirable, and he explained that not all elite athletes are thriving, with their finances often “precarious.”

To make such an aggressive move, without collaborating with the IOC and other stakeholders, might appear naïve and foolhardy but equally could be a shot across the bows amid speculation that he wants to become the next IOC President.

Rather than adhering to the status quo, Coe has proved himself to be an alternative, positioning himself firmly against Russian athletes competing at the Olympic Games as neutrals.

And the prize money issue comes ahead of the Friendship Games, to be held in Russia in September, offering $100m in total prize money and run by Umar Kremlev, head of the International Boxing Association which has been excluded from running Olympic boxing due to governance issues.

The first Friendship Games is expected to attract up to 6,000 athletes from more than 70 nations amid the backdrop of its invasion of Ukraine and punishments for state-sponsored doping.

When launched, the IOC issued a powerful communique which it accused of being a “cynical attempt by the Russian Federation to politicize sport,” noting a “disrespect for the athletes and the integrity of sports competitions.

“The commission even sees the risk of athletes being forced by their governments into participating in such a fully politicized sports event, thereby being exploited as part of a political propaganda campaign.”

With such significant prize money available, despite a lack of sports governance recognition, the Friendship Games represent a real threat to the IOC.

Could the World Athletics announcement be the start of more serious discussions to award all Olympic victors a cash prize, even if it costs up to $100m each Games? And would that see off the threat the Friendship Games poses?

Or should competing for glory be reward enough when the value of winning Olympic gold is so immeasurable?

Coe thinks not and said: “This fits very much with a contemporary template that we should do everything we can to recognise the performance and primacy of athletes.

“As a president who was a double Olympic champion, the largest part of my life has been involved with the Olympic movement. The world has changed. I don’t believe this is at variance with any deeply held philosophical commitment to the Olympic movement which, as a sport, we clearly have.

“It is important we start somewhere and make sure some of the revenues generated by our athletes … are directly returned to those who make the Games the global spectacle that it is. And as we grow as a sport I want to increase that pot.

“I have to accept the world has changed. If you had asked me that question 30 or 40 years ago,” whether paying athletes for winning was in line with what Scott called the Olympic ‘ethos, I might have given you a different answer.”

The key learning here is to ensure collaboration and discussion with stakeholders to gain support and understanding.

By blindsiding the IOC, ASOIF and other governing bodies, World Athletics very much set its stall out as a renegade, making a rogue decision regardless of the wider consequences for other sports federations and their athletes.

Coupled with the Friendship Games, the developments threaten the IOC’s authority just ahead of Paris 2024, which will no doubt serve as a reminder of the excellence and inspiration the Olympic Games continue to provide.

[aigle-suisse]

Grit Šadeiko (IMG_6876) par Matthias Via Flickr : Grit Šadeiko

[lecameleontv]

La florissante carrière sportive du multi-sportif-acteur Willie Gault : - athlétisme : > Championnat du monde d'Helsinki (1983) sur le 110 m Haies et le relais 4x100m en équipe ; > Championnat d'Athlétisme cat. 45-49 ans (2006) : 100 m; - Bobsleigh : Equipe américaine (1990); - football américain/baseball NFL : Tennessee (1979 -1982), Denver Broncos (1985-1987) et les Los Angeles Raiders (1988-1993)

Il est à noter que Willie Gault a participé à des compétitions avant la chute du mur de Berlin... donc pendant la Guerre Froide. Les USA, dont il était un membre de l'équipe, a ainsi boycotté les J.O. de 1980. Cf 2024...

Avec son équipe des Chicago Bears, il remporte le Super Bowl, et enregistre pour fêter l'évènement une chanson et son clip : 'Super Bowl Shuffle' (1985) : Otis Wilson, Mike Richardson, Gary Fencik, Richard Dent, Steve Fuller, William 'The Refrigerator' Perry. Il y pousse la chansonnette et quelques pas de danse ... comme un certain Harve Presnell avant lui et James Denton bien plus tard ^^ !

Nom du cheval : Summertime Date : 9 novembre 1986

Equipe américaine de Bobsleigh : avec Brian Shimer, Edwin Moses et Herschel Walker.

IAAF World Championships Athletics : Men's 110M Hurdles Lieu : Olympic Stadium. Helsinki, Finland Dates : 10/11/12 août 1983 - 8/12/1983 Equipe du 4x100m : Carl Lewis, Emmit King et Calvin Smith Temps : 37.86 A ses côtés en rencontre amicale : Greg Foster

Baseball lieu : Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

Grand Prix of Long Beach (2015)

Photos : Bill Smith, Bob Riha, John Cordes/Icon Sportswire, John D. Hanlon, Heinz Kluetmeier, A. Messerschmidt, George Rose, Paul Natkin, Steve Granitz, Steve Grayson/WireImage, Earl Gibson/BET et Peter Read Miller/Sports Illustrated Sources : Getty Images et raiders.com

Alias le nettoyeur Willie dans la série Le Caméléon.

[authordenisefyffe]

World Athletics Championships Budapest: Watch Sherika Jackson Win an Explosive 200 Meters finals

World Athletics Championships Budapest: Watch Sherika Jackson Win an Explosive 200 Meters finals by Denise N. Fyffe Watch Sherika Jackson win the 200-meter finals in fine style, for the second consecutive win.  .     ***** About the writer: Denise N. Fyffe is a published author of over 40 books, for more than ten years, and enjoys volunteering as a Counselor. She is a trainer, publisher, author,…

[afrotumble]

Jackie Joyner-Kersee reflects on her Rome 1987 championship records | On...

[kachoobu]

Guardando il caso Schwazer su Netflix. Tutto molto inquietante.

[theforesteldritch]

I think every intersex athlete ever excluded by the IAAF should get a million dollars, to compete, and to hit the IAAF over the head with folding chairs

[lastscenecom]

1966年にIAAF（現世界陸上競技連盟）が女性の性別を確認するために行った「裸パレード」は、女性アスリートの性別検査の中でも特にひどいものだったと多くの人が指摘している。そして、多くの人がこの種の検査全般を侵襲的で性差別的で屈辱的だとみなす理由は簡単に理解できる。結局のところ、これらの検査には性器検査が含まれる場合があり、男性アスリートがこのような屈辱を受けることはない。しかし、もちろん、女性を検査し、男性を検査しない明白な理由がある。なぜなら、男性は基本的に「オープン」カテゴリーで競技するからだ。これはすでに最も難しいカテゴリーであり、自分がそこに属するふりをすることで得られるアドバンテージはない。トランスジェンダーの男性を男性のスポーツ（通常は自己申告のみを必要とする）に含めることについて議論していないのは驚くことではない。なぜなら、彼らが試みたとしても、男性のエリートレベルに入ることは誰にもできないからだ。  本当のインターセックスの人は非常に稀ですが、女子部門で競う一流アスリートの中には、インターセックスの人が多くいます。これは、特定の性分化疾患 (DSD) があり、女性アスリートに対して明らかにパフォーマンス上の優位性があるためです。

基金は「雨の日」のための基金��はない

[aigle-suisse]

Eliška Klucinová (IMG_0411) par Matthias Via Flickr : Eliška Klucinová

[stevebattle]

Field Support Robot (FSR), Toyota, Japan (2019). FSR is a field event support robot designed for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Toyota developed "Special-use robots equipped with autonomous functions as part of throwing event (i.e. javelin) operations at the Olympic Stadium. While determining the optimal route to travel, the FSR will follow operating staff on a path that avoids obstacles while retrieving and conveying throwing event items. By using the FSR, the aim is to reduce the amount of time needed to retrieve items as well as reduce the amount of staff labor for the events. Toyota and Tokyo 2020 will be working with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in developing the FSR for the Tokyo 2020 Games."

[bsaka7]

The false claims of men masquerading as women offered a distraction from the realities of the IOC's contemporary sex testing project. What the IOC and the IAAF largely failed to acknowledge was that, by instituting sex tests, they were constructing their own definitions of femaleness. The IOC and the IAAF revised their policies to lend the categories of "woman" and "man" an air of coherence. First, they relied on physical inspections of each athlete's outward body; then they shifted to chromosomes, which they claimed would be more precise and scientific; later, and continuing into the present, they tried defining sex based on testosterone. Even as these shifts were underway, it was clear to astute observers what the IOC was doing. Daniel F. Hanley, the top physician on the US Oolympic Committee, complained in 1967 that chromosome-based sex tests "will establish a new definition of femaleness." Even de Merode once admitted that "it was practically impossible, scientifically, to define the sex of an athlete." Yet the IOC had backed itself into a corner. By implementing sex tests, they were keeping alive the illusion that sports could be inherently segregated by sex, as they had been since the earliest days of the Olympics. Sex testing became part of the fiction tat "men's sports" and "women's sports" were logical concepts. Abolishing sex testing would mean acknowledging that people cannot be sorted inherently into male and female categories. And if human sex is not built on a binary, fans might start to ask: Why, then, should sports be?

Michael Waters, The Other Olympians: Fascism, Queerness, and the Making of Modern Sports (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2024), 279.

[authordenisefyffe]

Paris Summer Olympics 2024: List of Venues for 2024 Paris Olympics

Paris Summer #Olympics 2024: List of Venues for 2024 #Paris Olympics by Denise N. Fyffe

Paris Summer Olympics 2024: A Guide to the Venues by Denise N. Fyffe The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will take place across an array of spectacular venues, showcasing both historic landmarks and state-of-the-art facilities. Here’s an in-depth look at the full list of venues and the events they will host, offering a comprehensive guide for sports enthusiasts and spectators. Aquatics Centre Events:…

[mithliya]

speaking of intersex athletes… the IAAF owes ewa kłobukowska an apology. they publicly humiliated her, banned her from being in sports, erased her achievements, and nearly caused her suicide all over a mistake. over 50 years later, they have yet to undo this mistake or apologise for it.

[a-silent-symphony]

⫷ NIGHTWISH FLASHBACK FRIDAY ⫸ Nightwish performs ‘Nemo’ at the IAAF World Championships 2005