Prize money key in sports without endorsements

“We are already consulting the athletes commission and other members of the IAAF family on a viable system that would satisfy all parties. We are confident that the changes and proposals we are compiling will be reflected in the next IAAF Competition Rules,” the IAAF said in a statement.

Seven years after her race against Kaniskina in Berlin, the long-since-retired Loughnane now compiles crime statistics for the Irish government. Meanwhile, Kaniskina is working as a sports official and may decide that, at the age of 31, it’s not worth paying back her winnings in order to race again. Kaniskina earned around US$135,000 in prize money at events where she was later disqualified.

“She hasn’t definitely ended her career. She’s still thinking,” Russian walking coach Nikolai Lukashkin told the R-Sport agency, adding that was also the case with another top Russian walker, Sergey Kirdyapkin, who is supposed to pay back a total of at least US$90,000 from numerous wins at major competitions after he was banned in 2015.

Former senior IAAF leaders have been accused of colluding with Russian officials to cover up doping or slow down cases, including those involving Kaniskina and Kirdyapkin. The IAAF banned its former treasurer and anti-doping head in January, as well as the son of former IAAF president Lamine Diack.

Citing those findings, some athletes argue the IAAF should make a one-time payment to clear prize money debts as a gesture of goodwill.

“This is not only about doping abuse in Russia, this is about corruption in the IAAF,” said Trond Nymark of Norway, who finished second to Kirdyapkin at the 2009 world championships but was later upgraded to gold.

Denmark’s Joachim Olsen said he was still owed US$10,000 from the 2006 world indoor championships, when he won bronze in shot put but was upgraded to silver when Andrei Mikhnevich of Belarus failed a retest. However, Mikhnevich is banned for life for two doping offences, so has nothing to gain from paying back more than $100,000 in prize money.

Like race walking, Olsen’s event rarely attracts big endorsements, making prize money all the more important.

“That’s a lot of money. Prize money was something that I would save up. You could have a bad year, injuries and stuff, so I used it as a kind of a backup. You didn’t make a lot of money, so I lived in a small apartment and tried to save up,” said Olsen, who since retirement in 2009 has become a member of the Danish parliament and is sharply critical of the IAAF’s approach.

As well as a gold medal from the 2012 London Olympics, Tunisian 3,000-metre steeplechase runner Habiba Ghribi is owed at least US$38,000 from events in which she was beaten by Russia’s Yuliya Zaripova, who was later banned for doping and disqualified.

“I took (the news) with a feeling of joy, because these titles are now in my legacy for life, but also with frustration at having been deprived of the opportunity to climb the highest stand on the podium, and to hear the national anthem of my country,” Ghribi said. end up in the draft lottery.

“It’s tough just being away from the game,” Benson said when asked about the Patrick situation. “I know how much he loves hockey. Being away from his teammates is difficult.

“I don’t think he should be worrying about the draft. People know what kind of player he can be. He’s played two years in this league already and he’s dominated. I think he should worry about making sure he’s 100 per cent when he comes back.”

The Edmonton Oilers made Benson the second pick of the second round last June, taking him 32nd overall.

Joachim Olsen