Not Alyson Felix, This Olympian Involved in Nike Pregnancy Pay Cut Controversy Says Getting Olympic Bronze Isn’t Rewarding

“If I, one of Nike’s most widely marketed athletes, couldn’t secure these protections, who could?” Allison Felix had slapped the question in response to her pay cut by the sporting giant because of motherhood. That was back in 2019. And she was not alone in this exodus of breaking the nondisclosure agreements with the company to share their pregnancy stories. She had many of her comrades in that. Among them was a heroic sprinter who rose to international prominence after running in the 2014 U.S. Track and Field Championships while being eight months pregnant.

“Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. Like maybe your contract, your pay,” American middle-distance runner Alysia Montano stood strong back then. With the bold voices of Montano, Felix, and many more like them, Nike was forced to revise their maternity policy. That voice of Montano again spoke up recently, branding her first Olympic medal ‘too little, too less’. And why not? After all, it came after a hiatus of 12 years!

An Olympic medal reminds Montano of the loss of a lifetime

Montano finished fifth in the women’s 800-meter final in the 2012 London Olympics. Russian runners Mariya Savinova and Ekaterina Guliyev secured gold and bronze, respectively in the event. Later, both were declared to be involved in a doping fiasco. This recently made Montano become the bronze medalist in that race. But there is no exhilaration. Rather, Montano is reeling from the sense of several losses.

“A stab in the gut, in the heart, really. I kind of felt a sinking feeling, to be honest,” was Montano’s initial reaction to it. And for good reasons. Montano’s grandmother turned 100 days before that 800-meter final. She watched the race from her hospital bed. As the Olympic medal becomes hers, Montano feels the loss of not being able to gift her the medal-winning moment. There is more to it.

“You can’t ever get that back. The loss is history lost; the loss is the moment lost; the loss is the people who were there to hug you and cheer for you; the loss is the homecoming parade. These things are very real,” Montano can not conceal her disappointment, as reported by CNN. But she has a wish to make up for the loss.

Alysia Montano wishes to receive her Olympic medal at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, where her family, friends, supporters, and sponsors can witness the moment. That might be a consolation to her bringing back that moment from 12 years back. But those moments are not the only losses. Some other interests were also hurt.

The pocket pinch of a medal loss

Alysia Montano can not turn her attention away from the financial losses she had to face in the fiasco. Montano believes that she missed out on financial gain that could range up to over seven figures. Notably, one of her present sponsors, Cliff Bar, has promised some reward to the athlete after the bronze medal upgrade. Even with that, Montano believes, the financial loss can never be fully offset.

“I walk into a conversation and folks run through your accolades and you know the difference between being a medalist and not being one is a huge pay cut…It’s like anybody who walks into a job interview and their experience gets them a difference with what their compensation is going to be. Coming off [the 2011 world championships] and being a bronze medalist, my bargaining power would have been through the roof,” Montano explained. So what would be her suggestion to clean the sport?

She vouches for a tough regulation that will make the return of these athletes in the sporting area more difficult. Taking a cue from her financial loss in the matter, she thinks that athletes involved in doping should face heavy fines to make them more accountable. “There needs to be heavy fines, especially if you want to re-enter the sport. And right now, there’s not enough repercussion,” Montano said. Even with all this, it seems like a full circle for someone like Montano whose career has gone through a lot of distraught. After all, it is always better to be late than never!