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Scottish runner Josh Kerr has blasted the World Athletics prize money structure after the World Indoor Championships as he also backed Michael Johnson's new partnership to take track & field to the next level.
Scottish distance runner Josh Kerr has lamented the lack of adequate prize money and backed Michael Johnson’s idea of having a lucrative new competition.
At the World Indoor Championships, Kerr was rewarded approximately Ksh6 million for winning the 3000m. At last year’s World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Kerr got more than Ksh10 million for winning the 1500m.
However, Kerr wants more after winning two world titles, comparing the money he makes to that of Premier League players.
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20:58 - 29.02.2024
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Kerr has suggested a revamp to athletics’ traditional 15-date Diamond League so the best athletes are financially incentivised to race head-to-head. The Scot also expressed excitement towards Johnson’s intervention and was open-minded on the prospect of Saudi Arabia getting involved in the sport.
“I’ve always gone with the idea that it would be cool to sign athletes to a league. If you could sign someone to a Diamond League, and have 12 guys race each other three times, I think that would be a situation where guys would start to think that financially it would make a lot more sense for them to worry more about the league than they would about a World Championship.
“It was $40,000 (£31,500) to win on Saturday – that seems crazy versus other sports. Think about winning a World Championship. We need to bring some validity to these championships.
“We are very lucky to have the likes of Noah Lyles, Grant Holloway, Femke Bol – amazing athletes come here and do their job – but those numbers are lower than appearance fees now for athletes of that caliber.
“We’ve got to find ways to attract athletes to race more and to race head-to-head more. The way to do that is to pay athletes good money to race a series of events,” Kerr said as per the Telegraph.
Kerr also noted that athletes are walking a fine line with some of the LIV Golf players but he was open to the idea of people wanting to invest money in the sport.
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07:00 - 05.03.2024
ATHLETICS Usain Bolt beware! Noah Lyles comes up with formula to break Jamaican legend's 200m record in 2024
Lyles has set himself an ambitious target in the 200m race this season, and another even eye-brow-raising one in the 100m this season after clinching silver at the Glasgow Indoor Games.
“I do think World Athletics are doing what they can to interest investors and try and bring some more eyeballs. We have another Olympic Games to try and bring the viewership up, bring the sponsorships in,” he added.
Meanwhile, Michael Johnson announced a partnership last week with the company Winners Alliance to create a new track league in 2025 and there are reports that a seven-figure sum has already been committed for the venture.
“He [Johnson] has a large voice on the scene and wants to make a bit of a ruckus and that sounds great to me.
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21:03 - 04.03.2024
ATHLETICS Michael Johnson reveals goal for his new track competition partnership
Michael Johnson recently entered a partnership with Winners Alliance and he has given a glimpse of his main goal as he seeks to provide a platform for great track and field athletes.
“From an athletes’ point of view, it’s going to give us options and options is what we are looking for to make a living and also show off our performances,” he added.
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