Page 16 - aruba-today-20240426

A16 SPORTS
Friday 26 april 2024

USA Track & Field expands its maternity policy to give athletes

more time to work their way back

By PAT GRAHAM tee. It provides insurance of the organization’s over-
AP Sports Writer for one year after the end all budget. It reimburses for
U.S. Olympic hurdler Christi- of a pregnancy, with the COBRA health care premi-
na Clemons sent numerous caveat that an athlete ums, along with providing
emails to those in the track still expects to compete. additional support through
community raising con- There’s also an athlete sti- the USATF’s high-perfor-
cerns over a gap in health pend. mance programs.
care insurance coverage USATF’s new plan increas- “For us, it’s a pretty simple
for new mothers who still es the time frame to give fix — and an important fix,”
wanted to compete. an athlete more of an op- said Renee Chube Wash-
Those baby steps turned portunity to recover and ington, the chief operating
into big strides as USA Track more chances to requalify officer for USATF. “It’s stress-
& Field unveiled a program for their funding, which is ful being a new mom or
Thursday that expands an based on results and rank- dad. ... If we can help ease
existing maternity support Christina Clemons, of the United States, and Helena Jiranova, of ings through a tiered system a little bit of that stress, we
system to give athletes the Czech Republic, compete in a women’s 60 meters hurdles that need to be achieved can and we will.”
more time to work their way heat during the World Athletics Indoor Championships at the by a certain date. For so long, women in track
Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, Sunday, March 3, 2024.
back. It’s one less hurdle for Associated Press To qualify for tier status, and field encountered the
women in the sport who an athlete must meet cer- same sort of message —
want to start a family in the when it comes to mothers, feel so pressured to per- tain criteria such as being get pregnant and face
middle of their careers. which is crazy to me,” said form at a time when no a medalist or finalist in the barriers. Through the ac-
For Clemons, it’s a way to the 33-year-old Clemons, matter what you do, you most recent major meet tions over the years of some
help carry the baton and who gave birth to her son, really can’t not a year af- (Olympics or world cham- of the sport’s top runners
follow in the footsteps of Al- Kylo, on Feb. 4, 2023, and ter pregnancy.” pionships) or finish in the like Felix, Kara Goucher
lyson Felix and others who is trying to make the U.S. Under the current system, a top 15 in the world rankings. and Alysia Montano, more
have been advocating for team for the Paris Games Team USA athlete can gain There are other levels, too, light is being cast on the
equality for mothers on and this summer. “This program assistance through the Elite based on performance. subject. They successfully
off the track. (by USATF) really is filling a Athlete Health Insurance This season, USATF’s ex- lobbied for more protec-
“There is a huge lack of gap and coming in and set up by the U.S. Olympic panded policy includes six tions over endorsement-
support in sports in general saving the day. You don’t and Paralympic Commit- athletes, with funding part contract terms. q