Page 22 - aruba-today-20161202

A22 SPORTS
Friday 2 december 2016
Clean athletes still waiting for prize money from dopers

JAMES ELLINGWORTH of goodwill. was later banned for dop-
AP Sports Writer “This is not only about dop- ing and disqualified.
MOSCOW (AP) — Seven ing abuse in Russia, this is “I took (the news) with a
years after the race of her about corruption in the feeling of joy, because
life at the world track and IAAF,” said Trond Nymark these titles are now in my
field championships, Olive of Norway, who finished legacy for life, but also with
Loughnane is still waiting for second to Kirdyapkin at the frustration at having been
her prize money. 2009 world championships deprived of the opportu-
That’s because the first but was later upgraded to nity to climb the highest
woman across the finish gold. “Of course, it’ll cost stand on the podium, and
line in the 20-kilometer walk them, but if you think in to hear the national an-
in Berlin in 2009 wasn’t the marketing value, it would them of my country,” Ghribi
Irish athlete. It was Russia’s probably pay off.” told the AP.
Olga Kaniskina, who was Denmark’s Joachim Olsen Ghribi is threatening legal
later banned for doping told the AP he was still owed action to get the money,
but hasn’t returned the $10,000 from the 2006 world but isn’t certain where to
gold medal or the $30,000 indoor championships, file a lawsuit — against
in cash owed to Lough- when he originally won the Monaco-based IAAF,
nane. bronze in shot put but was against Zaripova in Russia
“I’ve three young children,” upgraded to silver when or against the organizers of
Loughnane said. “They will Andrei Mikhnevich of Belar- meets held in Switzerland,
be going to college. It’s not us failed a retest. However, Sweden and South Ko-
an insignificant amount. I Mikhnevich is banned for rea. The many jurisdictions,
didn’t earn anywhere near life for two doping offenses, combined with a lack of
the amount of money as In this Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016 file photo, Olympic steeplechase so has nothing to gain from legal precedent, present a
an athlete that would allow champion Yulia Zaripova, foreground, competes during the paying back over $100,000 stern challenge to athletes
me to retire.” Russian national Indoor Grand Prix in Moscow, Russia. in prize money. who want the prize money
Athletes who are beaten by Associated Press Like race walking, Olsen’s they are owed. The long
doped competitors aren’t ute prize money if the ath- a sports official and may event rarely attracts big en- time periods involved also
only robbed of a moment lete banned for doping decide that, at the age dorsements, making prize mean some drug cheats
on the top step of the po- pays it back first. However, of 31, it’s not worth paying money all the more impor- have already spent their
dium as their national an- the IAAF’s main weapon back her winnings in or- tant. winnings.
them plays, they can also to compel dopers to pay der to race again, Russia’s “That’s a lot of money. Prize “First of all you’re trying to
be deprived of large sums back the money is an ex- top walking coach told money was something figure out where to file a le-
of money. In the cases of tension of their bans, which Russian media this month. that I would save up. You gal action and then you’re
four Russian and Belarusian isn’t effective if the athletes Kaniskina earned around could have a bad year, trying to figure out how to
dopers who have not paid plan to retire or have been $135,000 in prize money at injuries and stuff, so I used enforce it across multiple
back prize money from banned for life. events where she was later it as a kind of a backup. jurisdictions,” sports lawyer
events where they were In response to questions disqualified. You didn’t make a lot of David W. Larkin told the AP.
later disqualified, The Asso- from the AP, the IAAF “She hasn’t definitely end- money, so I lived in a small “The whole thing is an ab-
ciated Press has found that would not confirm how ed her career. She’s still apartment and tried to solute nightmare.”
as much as $410,000 may many doped athletes owe thinking,” coach Nikolai save up,” said Olsen, who While few athletes are ea-
be owed to dozens of ath- prize money or how much Lukashkin told the R-Sport since retirement in 2009 has ger to pick a legal fight
letes, with some debts go- is owed in total, or how it agency, adding that was become a member of the with their sport’s governing
ing back over a decade. tries to recover the cash. also the case with another Danish parliament and is body, one strategy could
The problem is expected to However, it said the issue top Russian walker, Ser- sharply critical of the IAAF’s be to pursue the IAAF for
intensify with the increase was on the agenda as part gei Kirdyapkin, who is sup- approach. negligently failing to bar
in retesting of medal win- of reform talks set for the posed to pay back a total “For the individual athlete doped athletes from com-
ners’ samples years after IAAF congress this week in of at least $90,000 from that got cheated out of peting.
the competition. About Monaco. numerous wins at major a medal and prize mon- If the IAAF did recover prize
100 athletes from vari- “We are already consult- competitions after he was ey, their concern doesn’t money through the courts,
ous sports have had their ing the athletes commis- banned in 2015. seem that big. It’s more its rules allow it to subtract
results from the 2008 and sion and other members of Former senior IAAF lead- of an image thing for the its legal costs from the sum
2012 Olympics annulled the IAAF family on a viable ers have been accused of IAAF and not a concern for that would be passed on to
following new tests with im- system that would satisfy all colluding with Russian offi- the individual athlete that the rightful medalists.
proved techniques. parties. We are confident cials to cover up doping or got cheated out of both Ten years after losing out
While the Olympics do not that the changes and pro- slow down cases, including a medal and prize money, on a silver medal to Belaru-
award prize money, dop- posals we are compiling those involving Kaniskina and that’s a real shame,” sian drug cheat Mikhnev-
ing disqualifications usually will be reflected in the next and Kirdyapkin. The IAAF he said. ich, Olsen isn’t expecting
trigger backdated bans IAAF Competition Rules,” banned its former treasurer Others are considering a to be paid any time soon.
wiping out years of results the IAAF said in a state- and anti-doping head in lawsuit. He says the IAAF is letting
and earnings from past ment. January, as well as the son As well as a gold medal clean athletes down.
world championships and Seven years after her race of former IAAF President from the 2012 London Olym- “Even if I had won the lot-
other events. against Kaniskina in Ber- Lamine Diack. pics, Tunisian 3,000-me- tery, and I had plenty of
In track and field, the prob- lin, the long-since-retired Citing those findings, some ter steeplechase runner money, which I didn’t, it’s
lem is particularly serious Loughnane now compiles athletes argue the IAAF Habiba Ghribi, is owed at more of a principle,” he
because the sport’s world crime statistics for the Irish should make a one-time least $38,000 from events in said. “They should pay the
governing body, the IAAF, government. Meanwhile, payment to clear prize which she was beaten by money to those that actu-
insists it can only redistrib- Kaniskina is working as money debts as a gesture Russia’s Yulia Zaripova, who ally won it.”q