IAAF Prizes To Be Awarded Once Athletes Proven Clean

(ATR) The IAAF announced $7,194,000 in prize money will be doled out during the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, plus $100,000 for world records -- but with an asterisk.

"The payment of prize money and bonuses is dependent upon athletes clearing the usual anti-doping procedures," the IAAF notes at the bottom of its press release. In the wake of high-profile doping busts, the federation is making its position clear.

Individual athletes will receive $60,000 for a gold medal, $30,000 for a silver and $20,000 for a bronze. Every finalist will cash in, all the way down to eighth place, which will garner $4,000.

For relays, the winning team splits $80,000, second place $40,000 and third $20,000. The eighth place team will divide $4,000.

Competition begins Aug. 10 at Luzhniki Stadium. Two years ago in Daegu, Usain Bolt and his Jamaican teammates, Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Yohan Blake, set a world record of 37.04 seconds to split the $100,000 bonus.

TDK is the IAAF partner for the men’s events and Toyota for the women’s.

The nine days of competition are expected to reach more than five billion TV viewers in more than 200 territories.

Doping By the Numbers

Before competition at Worlds, all of the 2,000 or so participating athletes will be tested for blood ABP parameters, according to the IAAF.

Approximately 60 urine tests (with EPO) are anticipated pre-competition.

During competition, 450-500 urine tests are planned, including EPO & IRMS analyses.

An outreach program run by RUSADA will be implemented at the World Championships.

Anti-Gay Law Not a Concern for Worlds

Amid the controversy surrounding Russia’s recent anti-gay legislation, the IAAF is not expecting the World Championships participants to run into trouble.

"We are fully confident that all athletes and officials taking part in the World Championships in Moscow will not be subject to any discriminatory treatment as a result of nationality, religion or sexual orientation, since this is something that is enshrined in Article 3 of our own constitution," an IAAF official tells Around the Rings.

Russian Capital Stands Out

The IAAF Council met in the Radisson Royal Hotel, one of the seven buildings known as "Stalin’s Skyscrapers," before moving to the Crowne Plaza for the its Congress and the first IAAF Forum.

IAAF President Lamine Diack said that 208 member federations will attend the Congress, with 206 teams entering at least one athlete in the World Championships.

"I wish to thank our hosts for providing the best possible participation conditions for our athletes, and we are very pleased to be in Moscow and thank our hosts wholeheartedly," Diack said.

He also reminded the Council of a Memorandum of Understanding last year with the RussianMinistry of Education to ensure increased cooperation in the development of athletics within the schools. Accordingto the IAAF, Kids’ Athletics is being integrated directly into the Russian educational system and the number of hours allocated to teaching and to activities associated with athletics is also being increased.

Forum Firsts

The 49th IAAF Congress features the first IAAF World Athletics Forum Wednesday. It will be chaired by Diack, and "aims to create an environment for lively and open debate about the future of Athletics for Congress Delegates and guests."

Forum sessions include an external perspective of the current environment, trends, opportunities and challenges for sport and athletics; a presentation of the new 2013-2016 IAAF Strategic Plan, and a focus on latest evolutions in IAAF Competitions and building partnerships within and outside the Olympic movement.

Three key themes highlight the afternoon session: Promotion and Development of Athletics, Ethics in Athletics, and IAAF Governance.

There will be seven speakers and 17 panelists, each from a different country. Senior executives from Dentsu, the IOC & Olympic Solidarity , the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE), the World Lottery Association and the Swiss Arbitrary Association will take part.

Written by Karen Rosen.

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