IOC Prez Kirsty Coventry Clarifies Comments About Athlete Pay; Olympians Continue to Speak Out
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry has taken to social media to attempt to stem the backlash she has received in recent days following comments about athlete pay. In an interview with New Zealand outlet, Sport Nation, Coventry stated that she does not “believe in paying athletes.” A seven-time Olympic medalist from Zimbabwe, Coventry took over the IOC presidency last year from Thomas Bach.
Her comments about athlete pay came under immediate criticism, with numerous Olympians – active and retired – expressing their outrage over Coventry’s comments. Australians Leisel Jones and Cam McEvoy were among those sharing their viewpoints. While Jones noted that the glory of being an Olympian does not pay the bills, McEvoy argued that paying athletes is a reasonable option based on the IOC’s financial standing. The world-record holder and reigning Olympic champ in the 50 freestyle, McEvoy called for a $10,000 appearance fee for Olympians, and payouts of $100,000 for a gold medal, $60,000 for a silver medal and $25,000 for a bronze medal.
Amid the backlash, Coventry used social media, specifically the athlete365 Instagram account, to clarify her initial comments. She indicated she was discussing prize money in the interview. Here is the statement in full:
“Some of you might have seen social media posts about an interview I gave during my visit to New Zealand when I had a conversation with a journalist about paying prize money to athletes,” Coventry wrote. “When I was asked about it on camera, I did not repeat the words prize money – my mistake, lesson learnt.
“Yes, I have always said that I don’t believe in paying athletes prize money at the Olympic Games, as this would benefit only a very small number of athletes. I do believe our role as the IOC is to find ways to directly support a large number of athletes on their journey to becoming Olympians, at the Olympics and as they transition into life after sport.
“As a former athlete, I am absolutely committed to finding more ways to directly support athletes on their journey.”
South African Olympic medalist Roland Schoeman is circulating a petition that calls for the ousting of Coventry and greater transparency from the IOC.