Jasmine Camacho-Quinn slams track & field event organisers for paying athletes ‘peanuts’

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn powered to her first Diamond League title in Brussels

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn slams track & field event organisers for paying athletes ‘peanuts’

Joel Omotto 06:25 - 27.09.2024

Puerto Rican sprinter Jasmine Camacho-Quinn has hit out at organissrs of track and field events for not taking athletes seriously given the low amount of money they earn at various meets.

Olympics 100m hurdles bronze medalist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn has weighed in on the cash rewards paid to track and field stars across various competitions.

Track and field is among the lowest paying sporting events in the world with runners earning between $70,000 and $10,000 for winning an event at the World Championships and Diamond League, figures athletes have complained over given what they put in.

It is for this reason that Jasmine Camacho-Quinn feels something need to change, pointing to the newly-launched Athlos NYC and Grand Slam Track league, whose winners will pocket $60,000 and $100,000 respectively, as examples of events that are taking athletes seriously.

“It is great and it’s about time,” Jasmine Camacho-Quinn who will be among the starts at Athlos on Thursday told CITIUS Mag of the newly-launched women’s-only meet.

“There is inflation happening and our money is not increasing at all and I was like we are coming all the way overseas to run for like [little money], you all see the prize money, come on, and that is the winner,” she said.

The Puerto Rican sprinter further explained how athletes are suffering from the low pay which they still have to share with those in their camps.

“And the winner doesn’t even get all that, you pay the agent, pay the coach,” she added.

“Overall, this [Athlos] is good and I just see it continuing in the future and it would be something great for us women and Grand Slam league was announced, I am excited about it, more money in that too, so more opportunities for us.”

The Diamond League has been among events cited for paying athletes low amounts with winners of each discipline rewarded with $10,000 at series meetings while $30,000 is reserved for those who claim Diamond League titles at the end of the season.

However, the Diamond League seem to have heard the cries and recently announced a 30 per cent increase in prize money from next season where winners of each discipline will earn between $30,000 to $50,000 at the series meetings while $60,000 to $100,000 goes to champions at the final.

The World Championships gold medalists at last year’s event were earning $70,000 while at the Olympics, track and field became the first sport to reward gold medalists with prize money, $50,000 going to each of the winners.