USA Track & Field refutes allegation by athlete

Symmonds, who won the 800 metres at the U.S. trials, was excluded from the U.S. team for this month’s world championships in Beijing after refusing to agree to conditions required of team members and said Tuesday he was considering legal action.

USA Track & Field refutes allegation by athlete

(Reuters)





Symmonds told Reuters he is meeting a lawyer on Wednesday to "discuss my options," after taking special exception to USTAF rules governing the wearing of team sponsor Nike's apparel.

On Monday, Symmonds cited what he said was an analysis by an economist that showed that eight percent of expected USATF gross revenue in 2015 would be distributed to athletes.

USATF said it spends about half its budget on athlete support and released a detailed breakdown.

“USATF in 2015 anticipates that we will spend roughly 50 percent of our $30 million budget, or more than $15 million, on a combination of cash paid directly to athletes, USATF payment of athlete costs and High Performance Programs that support elite athletes,” the body said in a statement.

“All revenues and expenditures are accounted for and reported.”

Symmonds, who finished second at the 2013 worlds and fifth at the 2012 Olympics, balked at signing USATF's statement of conditions that requires athletes to wear Nike to official functions, claiming the terms are too vague and restrictive.

Symmonds, who is sponsored by rival company Brooks, said he hopes his legal consultation will shed light on what recourse, if any, he has against USATF.

"I currently do not know what my options are," he said in an email to Reuters on Tuesday.

"I am hoping that my meeting with the lawyer can shed some light on where I can go from here."

Symmonds also dismissed USATF’s financial breakdown.

“Statement says 2015 budget is $30 million. Is USATF's budget somehow shrinking after new $500million dollar deal with @Nike?” he tweeted.





(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Larry Fine)


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: Reuters


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world