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Olympian Ben Connor declines GB selection over athlete fees, sparking debate on fairness, funding, and accessibility in British athletics.
Price of a vest—that is what it has come down to for some of Britain’s top distance runners and the implications could stretch far beyond one half marathon in Belgium.
Olympian Ben Connor has spoken out after turning down the opportunity to represent Great Britain at the European Road Running Championships in Leuven this April.
PAY ATTENTION: Stay updated with the Latest Athletics News in Kenya from Pulse Sports.
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Despite being selected to run the half marathon, Connor declined the invitation after learning he would need to cover costs of up to £1,100 for essentials such as travel, accommodation, kit, and staff support.
“Representing your country is a privilege, and in athletics is earned via a qualifying process, which while not always perfect, gives everyone the same chances to gain selection,” Connor wrote in a post on Instagram as per BBC.
Connor, 32, made his Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games and has long been a respected figure in British long-distance running.
Despite England Athletics offering to subsidise some of the cost, Connor stood by his belief that financial status should never dictate who gets to compete at the international level.
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“Coming from a working class background I don't like the potential precedent being set where people, especially junior athletes of the future, don't have the same development or competition opportunities because of finances,” he added.
“I wish there was more transparency and honesty regarding the state of our governing bodies finances and about how our sport is being managed for this to be the position.”
UK Athletics (UKA), in a statement responding to the backlash, clarified that while the initial estimate for athlete contributions was £1,100, actual costs were likely to be under £500. In some cases, the contribution may be as low as £200-£250 following support from home country organisations.
“UKA feels it is better to give athletes opportunity to compete than opt not to send teams at all,” the governing body said, citing increased calendar demands and limited central funding as key reasons for the policy shift.
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Former world 1500m silver medallist and current athletics commentator Hannah England voiced concern about the long-term consequences of the policy.
“£20m of UK Sport funding goes to UK Athletics and it then asks athletes to pay to compete. That does not look like a good narrative,” she told BBC 5 Live Breakfast.
“But that funding is audited and has to go towards producing Olympic medals. This is a new championship so there is no precedent for Olympians coming from that event. So it is either ask people to contribute or they don't send a team. And that is really hard for people to stomach.”
The European Road Running Championships is not the only event where athletes are being asked to chip in.
UK Athletics has listed up to £200 in athlete contributions for this July’s European Under-23 Championships in Bergen.
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