US soldier threatens Army action over 'unfair' Olympics move
One of the marathon runners blindsided by a controversial World Athletics move ahead of the Paris Olympics has threatened to get the US Army involved.
Leonard Korir, a top US marathon runner and a member of the US Army, was not inside the 80 spots said to be available for the men’s marathon when the qualification period closed on May 5.
However, the US held a third quota place through CJ Albertson and that place was set to be awarded to Korir, given Korir had finished third in the US Olympic marathon trials, held in Orlando in February.
But Korir and nine other runners, including Australian Liam Adams, had their Olympic dreams dashed when World Athletics added 11 “universality” athletes.
Regarding “universality” places, World Athletics documentation states that any national Olympic committee that does not have an athlete qualified in any track and field event can enter their best-ranked athlete in the 100m, 800m or marathon. It’s an initiative that diversifies Games competition in the spirit of the Olympics.
Adams and Albertson (Korir, effectively) sat inside the top 80 in World Athletics’ Road to Paris table when the qualification period closed on May 5, but were bumped out a few days later when the governing body removed them at the expense of the universality athletes.
Speaking to Wide World of Sports in the only interview he has done regarding the Paris 2024 controversy, Korir said he and his coach, Scott Simmons, would be willing to call upon the backing of US Army lawyers.
“My coach and I might use a US Army lawyer to help us so that we can explain to them [World Athletics] how they were supposed to do it,” Korir told WWOS from his home in Colorado Springs on Tuesday (AEST).
- For more: Elrisala website and for social follow us on Facebook
- Source of information and images “nine“
