Abolish Amateurism, Agents Urge : Representatives of Track and Field Stars Organize for Challenge

Agents and managers of the world’s track and field stars issued a strong challenge to the sport’s authorities today, urging them to treat the athletes as full professionals and “move with the times.”

Representatives of six-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis, world 110-meter hurdles record-holder Roger Kingdom, 400-meter world record-holder Butch Reynolds, Kenyan 800-meter Olympic champion Paul Ereng and more than 20 other agents set up the International Assn. of Athlete Representatives.

Its aim is to abolish amateurism and give the athletes complete freedom to run their own affairs.

In a 10-point declaration, the new association said it wants to “protect the rights of athletes to compete and to earn compensation in a free and open market . . . without restriction.”

Another proposal included a recommendation to abolish the trust fund concept and replace it with a system in which athletes “freely, openly and honestly accept remuneration from meet organizers and sponsors.”

The agents also called for the lifting of all restrictions imposed by the sport’s world governing body on the wearing of sponsors’ names and logos during competition.

The International Amateur Athletic Federation does not allow competitors to prominently display manufacturers’ or advertisers’ names on their uniforms or equipment during competition.

“We recognize we cannot ourselves change the rules,” said David Greifinger, an attorney for Lewis and the Santa Monica Track Club. “But by issuing this declaration, we are saying these are the rules we want to be in place. Now, IAAF, get with it.”

Greifinger said that the sport is now virtually professional and that the world governing body has no option but to “move with the times.”

“I don’t think in the long run that they can afford not to follow most of our recommendations,” Greifinger told the Associated Press.

“Basically, our recommendations reflect reality. The economic pressures of the sport will require that the IAAF go along with these recommendations.”

But Jon Wigley, IAAF director of competitions, said the organization will not be held to ransom.

“Any group of private individuals has the right to express an opinion,” he said. “But I don’t know with what authority this group is speaking. The declaration runs against the principle of the IAAF and leaves no room for discussion.”

Wigley said that under present rules, individual agents must be authorized by member track federations, the only bodies that had any standing within the IAAF.

“If they are serious about this declaration, they should take it back to the member federations for discussion, not just put it forward as a political confrontation,” Wigley said.

Greifinger said the IAAR would be happy to do this.

In Indianapolis, site of the Athletics Congress, the U.S. governing body, spokesman Pete Cava said: “All they’ve done is make an announcement. They haven’t implemented any changes.”