Latest update March 21st, 2025 7:03 AM
Latest News
Will American iconic track star, Allyson Felix, get her heart’s desire at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games?
DEAR EDITOR,
It appears the global sponsor Nike have dropped Allyson Felix as their brand ambassador because she just competed unattached at the American Trials. Her performance with the timings in the first round of the 400m made me put my head in both my palms and shook my head in total disappointment.
Anyone following sports would know that when penning your signature to any contact in becoming a brand ambassador for any major global sponsor there are policies and guidelines an athlete must adhere to and failing to do so, it comes with serious consequences.
Apparently, one of the clauses in Nike’s contract is that women athletes will not be paid if you got impregnated and the contract was still standing. As we all know, Allyson got pregnant and competed at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and got silver in the women’s 400m finals where she lost to Shaunae Miller Uibo who I believed deliberately threw herself towards the finish line on the ground and won the gold.
Allyson went before the senate (I think) and disclosed the life threatening condition she was faced with and fought for women athletes to get paid by Nike even when becoming pregnant. I strongly believe Nike was angered and I think they made some adjustments to their contract policy and the women will now get paid whoever gets pregnant during competition.
I believe any major international athlete getting dropped from their sponsor will affect them mentally and the game changes from there onwards. In that respect, it will take a miracle for Allyson to make the podium at the upcoming Doha World Championships and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Whatever the outcome, her name is listed in my book of sports and will always remain where it stands even with all the adversities that she faces.
Yes, I admit I am always bias with Team USA ahead of Team Jamaica and I know many who wish for Allyson not to have her swan ending, but at the end of the day her accomplishments speaks for it all.
Yours faithfully
T. Pemberton
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
“One Guyana” is no less a national slogan than “Green Guyana”
Kaieteur News- The notion that “One Guyana” is a partisan slogan is pure poppycock. It is a desperate fiction... more
If Guyana’s President Ali is the “Zelensky of the Caribbean”, who is the Putin?
Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the US and the OAS, Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- In the latest... more
Weekend Cartoon
