Coventry IOC위원장, 선수 보상 입장 명확히 하다(Coventry clarifies stance on athlete pay)

[Coventry IOC위원장, 선수 보상 입장 명확히 하다(Coventry clarifies stance on athlete pay)]

 

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6월1일자 외신기사내용 정리하여 공유합니다.

 

IOC는 짐바브웨 출신 Coventry위원장이 올림픽 참가 선수 보상에 대해 한 논란의 발언으로 인한 반발에 대응하며, 조직의 Athlete365 소셜미디어 플랫폼을 통해 입장을 밝혔다(The International Olympic Committee has addressed the backlash surrounding controversial comments by the Zimbabwean about compensating Olympic Games participants on the organisation's Athlete365 social media platform.)고 합니다.

 

 

(Kirsty Coventry 현 IOC위원장과 전임 Thomas Bach IOC위원장/현 IOC 명에위원장)

 

 

최근 뉴질랜드에서 열린 오세아니아 국가올림픽위원회 연례 회의 방문 중, Kirsty Coventry IOC위원장은 Sport Nation의 Alex Chapman 으로부터 선수 보상에 대한 생각을 공유해 달라는 요청을 받았다. 그는 Coventry가 성공한 올림피언으로서 보상 없이 올림픽에 참가했던 경험을 알고 있다는 점을 언급했다 (On a recent visit to New Zealand during the Oceania National Olympic Committee's annual gathering, Kirsty Coventry was prompted by Sport Nation's Alex Chapman to share her thoughts about paying athletes, as he cited her background as a successful Olympian who knows what it's like to compete at the Games without compensation)

 

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[주요 내용 요약]

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1. 발언 배경

 

-Kirsty Coventry IOC 위원장은 뉴질랜드 방문 중 인터뷰에서 “올림픽에서 선수들에게 돈을 지급하는 것에는 동의하지 않는다”고 발언.

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-자신의 경험을 들어 작은 나라 출신으로서 장학금(올림픽 솔리다리티) 덕분에 성공할 수 있었다고 설명.

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2. 선수들의 반발

 

-호주 수영 스타 Leisel Jones 는 “영광만으로는 생활비를 낼 수 없다”며 올림픽 참가를 만류하는 발언.

 

-동료 선수 Nat Cook은 시드니 올림픽 이후 35만 달러 빚을 졌다고 고백.

 

- Cam McEvoy 는 IOC 수익의 1.5%만으로도 모든 선수에게 출전 수당과 메달 보너스를 지급할 수 있다고 주장(venturing that even if every Olympian were to be paid an appearance fee, plus bonuses for podium finishers, then that would be around $180m (€154m) - which is only 1.5% of the quadrennial revenue $12 billion (€10.3bn) the IOC generates. "You can have prize money and pay all athletes to help those who aren't are the absolute top and still be extremely comfortable with your boatloads of revenue)

 

-Roland Schoeman은 IOC 집행부 사퇴를 요구하는 청원까지 개설, IOC가 막대한 수익을 올리면서도 선수들에게 정당한 몫을 주지 않는다고 비판(created a petition calling for the immediate resignation of Coventry and the current IOC Executive Board. Created on Saturday, the appeal highlights how the IOC generates billions of dollars through broadcast rights, sponsorship agreements, licensing, hospitality, and commercial partnerships. While everyone from sports administrators to broadcasters, and even sponsors, profit)

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2. Coventry IOC위원장의 해명

 

-IOC 공식 SNS 플랫폼 Athlete365를 통해 입장을 재차 설명.

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-“나는 올림픽에서 선수들에게 상금(prize money)을 지급하는 것에는 반대하지만, 더 많은 선수들에게 직접적인 지원을 제공하는 것이 IOC의 역할이라고 믿는다”고 강조.

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-지원 방식으로 재능 발굴, 장학금, 준비 과정 지원, 은퇴 후 전환 프로그램 등을 확대하겠다고 언급.

 

-인터뷰에서 ‘상금’이라는 단어를 반복하지 않은 것은 실수였다고 인정하며, 오해를 바로잡음.

 

4. 핵심 쟁점

 

-선수들은 경제적 현실을 호소하며 IOC의 수익 배분을 요구.

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-Coventry IOC위원장은 상금 지급은 소수에게만 혜택이 돌아간다고 주장하며, 대신 다수 선수에게 직접적 지원 확대를 강조.

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-논쟁은 단순한 보상 문제가 아니라 IOC의 정당성, 투명성, 선수 권리와 직결된 문제로 확산.

 

요약하면, Coventry IOC위원장은 “상금 지급은 반대하지만 선수 지원은 강화하겠다”는 입장을 명확히 했고, 선수들은 “IOC 수익을 공정하게 나눠야 한다”는 목소리를 높이며 갈등이 이어지고 있습니다

 

 

 

Coventry clarifies stance on athlete pay

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The International Olympic Committee has addressed the backlash surrounding controversial comments by the Zimbabwean about compensating Olympic Games participants on the organisation's Athlete365 social media platform.

 

On a recent visit to New Zealand during the Oceania National Olympic Committee's annual gathering, Kirsty Coventry was prompted by Sport Nation's Alex Chapman to share her thoughts about paying athletes, as he cited her background as a successful Olympian who knows what it's like to compete at the Games without compensation.

 

"I don't believe in paying athletes. I come from a small country. I come from a sport that doesn't necessarily pay athletes very well. I still don't believe we should be paying athletes at the Olympic Games," Coventry replied.

 

The governing body's chief conceded the organisation must "find more ways to directly impact athletes and find ways to help them on their journey to becoming Olympians and while they're Olympians", with measures linked to talent identification, scholarships, preparation and professional transition.

 

"I was an Olympic Solidarity scholarship holder without that money. I'm not sure I would have been as successful, and so I'm so grateful for that," Coventry revealed.

 

The interview generated harsh responses from former and current Olympians, with some sharing stories of financial struggles. Triple Olympic medallist Leisel Jones reacted to the remarks on her morning radio show Triple M, commenting "the glory is not worth it" while discouraging Olympic hopefuls.

 

"I would say the Olympic Games are not worth pursuing if you're not going to pay (athletes). (It is) an outrageous comment because I thought, surely that's taken out of context. I don't have children myself, but I would highly encourage not to go to the Olympic Games because life is expensive," Jones said, adding that beach volleyball player Nat Cook said she was nearly $350,000 (€215,673) in debt after the Sydney Games.

 

Coventry took to the IOC social media platform to clarify any misconceptions about her opinion, highlighting her commitment to support athletes on their journey. "When I was asked about it on camera, I did not repeat the words prize money – my mistake, lesson learnt," she explained.

 

"Yes, I have always said that I don't believe in paying athletes prize money at the Olympic Games, as this would benefit only a very small number of athletes. I do believe our role as the IOC is to find ways to directly support a large number of athletes on their journey to becoming Olympians, at the Olympics and as they transition into life after sport," the former athlete added.

 

Reigning Olympic champion in the men's 50m freestyle, Cam McEvoy, replied to the post, venturing that even if every Olympian were to be paid an appearance fee, plus bonuses for podium finishers, then that would be around $180m (€154m) - which is only 1.5% of the quadrennial revenue $12 billion (€10.3bn) the IOC generates. "You can have prize money and pay all athletes to help those who aren't are the absolute top and still be extremely comfortable with your boatloads of revenue," the Australian retorted.

 

Meanwhile, fellow former Olympic swimmer Roland Schoeman created a petition calling for the immediate resignation of Coventry and the current IOC Executive Board. Created on Saturday, the appeal highlights how the IOC generates billions of dollars through broadcast rights, sponsorship agreements, licensing, hospitality, and commercial partnerships. While everyone from sports administrators to broadcasters, and even sponsors, profit, "athletes are repeatedly told that the reward is the experience."

 

"The Olympic Movement was built by athletes … Without athletes, there is no Olympic Games. Yet somehow athletes remain the only essential stakeholders without meaningful ownership, meaningful representation, meaningful transparency, or a meaningful share in the value they create," the petition reads.

 

"Without athletes there are no Games. It is time the Olympic Movement started acting like it."

 

 

*References:

-insidethegames

-Sport Nation

-IOC website