Atletikkens største lønseddel nogensinde

Forestil dig at løbe ét løb og gå derfra rigere end næsten nogen anden atlet i din sports historie. Det er præcis, hvad der skete i denne måned ved et helt nyt mesterskab, bygget op om én enkel idé: betal vinderne som rigtige stjerner.

Imagine running one race and walking away richer than almost any athlete in the history of your sport. That is exactly what happened this month at a brand new championship built entirely around one simple idea: pay the winners like real stars.

Stævnet samlede verdens bedste atletikudøvere i blot nogle få dage med løb og kast, men præmiesummen lignede intet, sporten havde set før, og lød samlet på omkring ti millioner dollars. En enkelt vinder kunne tage hjem med et beløb, mange atleter tidligere skulle bruge flere sæsoner på at tjene.

The event brought together the best track and field athletes in the world for just a few days of racing, but the prize fund was unlike anything the sport had seen before, worth about ten million dollars in total. A single event winner could take home an amount many athletes previously earned across several seasons combined.

Tilhængerne siger, at så gode præmier endelig behandler atletik som den store sport, den er. Kritikerne spørger, om det i virkeligheden ændrer noget på den lange bane. Uanset hvad var sprintere og kastere i nogle få dage i september pludselig blandt verdens bedst betalte atleter.

Supporters say paying athletes this well finally treats track and field like the major sport it is. Critics wonder if it will actually change anything long term. Either way, for a few days in September, sprinters and throwers were suddenly some of the highest paid athletes in the world.