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.
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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).
“The more we make a lot of noise, the more World Athletics will listen, and maybe they will increase the field … For us, we need to just try everything, just keep working, keep pushing, because we have nothing to lose, and we just need to try, try. If we don’t win, we can at least say we tried.
“It’s not our fault. I wish they said there would be no rankings so that we could chase the standard … I was shocked because I thought I was in … It’s so unfair.”
In an interview with Wide World of Sports, Adams claimed World Athletics “shifted the goal posts” after the qualification period ended.
Korir made a similar remark.
“They should try to make rules and stick to the rules and not change them at the last minute,” Korir said.
Documentation states that World Athletics was expecting 50 per cent of athletes to meet the 2:08:10 entry standard. It also says the remaining qualification places would be allocated via world rankings.
Seventy runners met the entry standard, leaving Korir and Adams thinking 10 runners had qualified via world rankings.
Korir’s best time within the qualification period was 2:09:31, while Adams’ was 2:08:39.
Korir said his coach was in talks with USA Track and Field as well as the International Olympic Committee. He said his coach had tried getting in contact with World Athletics, but was yet to receive a reply.
Neither Adams nor Korir have an issue with universality athletes being included; they just disagree with runners who qualified via world rankings being forced to give up their spots.
Of the athletes given universality places, the quickest time within the qualification period was 2:08:26 and the slowest 2:21:17. One of the athletes given a universality place does not have a marathon time listed on his World Athletics profile at all.
“It’s the Olympics, it’s for all the countries,” Korir said, making a point of the Olympic spirit.
“What we are just saying is they should pick everyone in the rankings … and then the universality athletes are added on top. So I think they should include all of us.”
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The employer of Adams, solar company Winki, launched a petition on change.org last week, protesting World Athletics’ move. As of Tuesday afternoon, it has been signed by 5800 people.
One of the displaced athletes, Chilean Hugo Catrileo, told WWOS he felt “mocked”.
Athletics Australia is backing Adams in his fight to be reinstated.
“Athletics Australia is seeking clarification from World Athletics on the impact to athletes, following their announcement of adding 11 universality places to the Olympic marathon,” Athletics Australia said in a statement provided to WWOS.
“We want to see as many Australian athletes as possible run in the marathon in Paris and we are awaiting more information at this time.”
WWOS requested comment from World Athletics.