“Money Is There”: Amidst Outcry Over World Athletics Pay, Paralympian Takes A Strong Stand Against Unjustice

The athletic world is currently ravaged by the dark shadows of underpayment. It is now no secret that the athletes taking part in the Olympic events do not receive monetary compensation. Thus, to back the competitors financially, Sebastian Coe led World Athletics came up with a unique solution. They recently announced that gold medalists at the Paris Olympics 2024 will be awarded a handsome amount of $50,000. 

While this was a welcome move for the athletes, several sporting federations were not happy. Olympic sports bodies felt that such an initiative undermines the integrity of the sports. Following such an outcry, Paralympian Stef Reid decided to come up with views of her own. 

Stef Reid feels there is no shortage of money

Paralympian Stef Reid recently decided to open up about the raging issue. Taking to her official Instagram page, Reid uploaded a video raising her voice to what she felt was an injustice. The para-athlete opined that there was definitely no shortage of money and she had a valid justification for the same as well. Reid said, “I would say the money is there and that’s because the IOC shares its broadcast revenues across all summer sports.” 

To further substantiate her point of view, Reid gave the example of how the IOC distributed 540 million across the 32 federations. Taking a sly dig at the other federations, the 39-year-old pointed out that the organizations decided to determine how they spent the money. She stated how the others put their allocated funds into various development programs and plans instead of helping the athletes like the World Athletics. 

Coming towards the end of the video, Reid made a strong statement by saying, “My point is simply that there is a difference between not being able to afford something and choosing to invest elsewhere.” She also stressed the importance of money and how it does not hamper one’s passion. Well, while the controversy seems to be turning quite complicated, let’s take a look at what the other federations stated about World Athletics. 

World Athletics ‘undermining’ Olympism? 

After the announcement of World Athletics paying $50,000 to its athletes, the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations criticized the move. Speaking about the same, ASOIF stated, “For many, this move undermines the values of Olympism and the uniqueness of the games.” 

Such a difference in opinion also fueled rumors about the upcoming presidential elections. The ruling IOC president, Thomas Bach will be ending his 12-year reign soon. A part of the IOC governing body wants Bach to continue. On the other hand, Sebastian Coe, who could have contested for the position might face an age constraint as he is already 68. Thus, with so much dispute brewing, it will be interesting to see how things take a turn.