Less than 24 hours before the Opening Ceremony of the world's second largest sporting event, the New York Times has published a startling article that crushes the United State's Olympic Committee's (USOC) claims that Olympic and Paralympic athletes are not treated differently. The comparison of the support offered to our athletes compared to that provided by other countries is embarrassing and the performance of our team has obviously suffered. Here's a quick review of the findings published today in the New York Times:
- US Paralympic Track hopefuls were provided between $1,000 and $2,000 to defray training costs. Olympic hopefuls were offered between $10,000 and $15,000.
- The USOC pays the health insurance of some athletes vying for spots on the team to allow them to train without the necessity of working full-time. The USOC paid for 174 Paralympians' insurance. They covered 1,150 Olympians even though only 600 even represented our country in Beijing.
- A Paralympian that wins a gold medal in Beijing will be awarded $5,000. The Olympians received $25,000
US athletes are divided on their reactions to the obvious inequalities. A few former athletes have successfully won discrimination lawsuits while others have been defeated with the USOC's justification the financial resources are limited and it's simply impossible to provide equal support. Tony Iniguez will be in the awkward position of representing the US Paralympic Track team in Beijing and then returning home to pursue a lawsuit based on these matters. Marlon Shirley supports the USOC with his observations of the obvious commercial differences in the Olympics and Paralympics. He doesn't feel it's fair to expect the exact same financial backing when the Paralympics hasn't yet been proven to be a viable money-maker in the US.
[Photo caption: Tony Iniguez crosses the finish line of a marathon in his racing wheelchair.]
Outside the US, these inequalities have been publicly criticized by other countries' Paralympic organizations and their leaders. Even Presidents differ in their treatments of the Games. Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be in attendance during the Opening Ceremonies along with several other nation's leaders. How far behind is the United States in their support of Paralympians?
- Elite coaches have begun training athletes representing other countries because their services were poorly funded.
- Britain and Canada provide financial support between $18,000 and $50,000 a year for athletes to live, train, and prepare for the next Paralympics.
- The President of the International Paralympic Committee has said, "I find it strange in the 21st century,” he said. “We would expect of the U.S. to be one of the leading nations when it comes to this sort of principle."
What's the result? Decreased performance. Our athletes simply don't have the same opportunity to succeed compared to their international competitors. The US Paralympic team's medal count has dropped dramatically in the last two decades going from 12.5% in 1988 to 5.6% in 2004.
I hesitated writing about this topic on a day that we should be celebrating the start of the Paralympics and sending all the emotional support we can muster across the seas to our athletes. I will always be a strong supporter of US Paralympians. I'm also appreciative of the support I was provided by the USOC. I lived, ate, and trained in the Olympic Training Centers for several months. In part, I agree what Marlon Shirley said, "Shut up and race." This is definitely not something current athletes should be thinking about-especially right now! Marlon is one of my most admired athletes, but we have to consider he's also easily the highest paid Paralympian. He has endorsements from Visa, Reebok, AT&T, and McDonalds. He even has his own agent! He doesn't have to choose between his sport and a livelihood. While it's not the only reason I retired, I was definitely faced with that choice when I returned home from Athens. Perhaps it's not reasonable to ask for exactly equal financial treatment, but the vast differences should be examined. I find it difficult to accept the reasoning given for the disparity is because "the USOC is waiting for the Paralympics to generate more revenue." How can that happen when it's poorly marketed and not even shown to Americans? Our citizens are not given a fair chance to support our athletes.
