Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.AS scarcely anybody today clings to the notion that professionals are unclean and that amateurs who consort with them risk some obscurely loathsome infection, the International Amateur Athletic Federation is clearly dragging its feet.
By all accounts prize money could be central to proceedings when the World Championships move to Sweden in 1995, and yet, the IAAF cannot face up to reality and abandon the myth of amateurism on the levels where it is an acknowledged myth.
It has, of course, been common knowledge for some time that a great deal of hypocrisy still exists in athletics, which is precisely the point put forward last week by Emer Brahmia who represents Noureddine Morceli, the 1,500 metre runner from Algeria. You may recall that Brahmia, pronouncing on Morceli's reluctance to compete in Stuttgart without payment, said: 'It was a protest against hypocrisy.'
The hypocrisy that Brahmia has in mind is that which suggests competitors in the World Championships, and indeed the Olympic Games, are competing solely for medals and the honour of representing their countries.
It would be strange if medallists did not take a great deal of pride in their achievement, and in some cases shed a tear on the rostrum.
But these days, starting at an impressionable age, it is put to them by commercially-minded people that they have something for sale, that their athletic skills have a cash value.
As I recall it considerable embarrassment was felt by officialdom during the Montreal Olympics of 1976 when the great Finnish distance runner, Lasse Viren, advertised the brand name on his running shoes by holding them up to photographers and television cameras. This has been standard practice in Stuttgart.
Equally, it was thought quite proper to engage Sally Gunnell in conversation about appearance money, especially whether, on British tracks, she is now entitled to parity with Linford Christie.
Nobody seriously pretends that young athletes can live out their time on the playground under a system that limits them to expenses. Through their perfect adaption to modern thinking in this matter the best of them are now doing exceedingly well.
There is absolutely nothing wrong in this (although there is a danger that the athletes and their agents will eventually wield too much influence), but it highlights a pathetic weakness in the IAAF's title. Great Britain, for example, has long since abandoned the ludicrous philosophy that it is better to take money on the sly and lie about it than to accept payment openly. Amateur status is now a meaningless distinction in sport, so why not call them all pros and honour them as such.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments