In a highly unusual show of discord between Olympic leaders, IAAF chief Lamine Diack sharply criticized IOC president Jacques Rogge on Friday for displaying “a lack of respect” for track and field.
Diack, president of the International Association of Athletics Federations, issued a strongly worded statement vowing to fight for the “rightful place of athletics at the summer Olympic Games.”
He assailed the International Olympic Committee president for criticizing Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt’s celebrations in Beijing and for suggesting the Olympic track in London could be ripped up after the 2012 Games.
“Destroying the track would be totally unacceptable,” Diack said.
Diack is scheduled to meet with Rogge in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Nov. 17.
Diack took issue with Rogge for accusing Bolt of excessive showboating and showing a lack of respect to other sprinters after his world-record performances in the 100 and 200 meters.
“We live in a time when Olympic sports are struggling to remain attractive to young people, when we all need to make sport exciting and relevant to them,” Diack said. “Since we need to create heroes that young people identify with, why criticize the behavior of a young man who is instantly and completely appealing to young people?”
Diack said the 22-year-old Bolt, who won a third gold medal in the 400 relay, was showing “exuberance and uninhibited pleasure in victory.”
Diack criticized Rogge for his recent comments about the after-use of the 85,000-capacity Olympic Stadium in London that is to be converted after the 2012 Games into a 25,000-seat venue. Rogge suggested in a TV interview the IOC wouldn’t object if organizers decided not to keep the track.
“As the leader of the world governing body for athletics, I think this shows a lack of respect for my sport,” IOC member Diack said.
source: seattletimes.nwsource.com
Recent Comments