Athletes to profit from sponsorship rules change

Dina Asher-smith and the rest of Great Britain’s Olympic and Paralympics teams are to be given greater licence to cash in on competing at the Games after the British Olympic Association confirmed it was revising restrictions on the promoting of personal sponsors.

The BOA revealed it was close to issuing new guidance on the International Olympic Committee’s controversial Rule 40, which limits athletes’ ability to work with their own commercial partners for the two weeks of the Summer and Winter Games.

The rule is designed to protect the interests of the IOC’S own sponsors, but athletes have complained it prevents them capitalising financially on the biggest moments of their careers.

Its wording was changed in June after the German Cartel Office ruled in February that the application of it by that country’s Olympic committee was too strict. The IOC subsequently sent guidelines to national Olympic committees to determine its future implementation.

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee released its revised guidance yesterday, which includes granting athletes the right to thank, and receive congratulatory messages from, personal sponsors during the Games.

It also allows these sponsors to engage in generic advertising during the Olympics and Paralympics, while continuing to guarantee its official partners exclusivity around Team USA, as well as providing ambush-marketing protection through the introduction of a personal-sponsor commitment.

New world 200 metres champion Asher-smith, poised to be the face of Team GB at next year’s Olympics, yesterday posted a one-word response to the US announcement: “Jealous!!!”

Her envy is expected to be appeased by BOA guidance that also allows athletes to thank, and receive congratulatory messages from, personal sponsors during the Olympics.

The 23-year-old has commercial deals with Nike, the bitter rival of BOA official partner Adidas, and Hublot, a competitor of IOC partner Omega.

The BOA’S guidance already allows athletes’ personal sponsors to engage in generic advertising during the Olympics, provided it is given a notice of any planned activity four months before the Games.

A BOA spokesman said: “The BOA and the BOA Athletes’ Commission will shortly be in a position to confirm its agreed amendments to Rule 40.

“The BOA has always taken a common-sense approach to the application of the rule in this territory and will continue to do so moving forward for the benefit of all, whilst recognising our unique funding position.”