In other news:
If he didn’t receive the money, Koum is alleged to have threatened to deliberately perform poorly, which would have prevented any Australian male weight lifter competing at the 2012 games.
[…]
To head off the move, coaches offered a reward of $1000 – to be paid out of their own pockets – to Koum to lift a total of 250 kilos in his event, the 62 kilos weight division.After initially agreeing to that arrangement, Koum allegedly then demanded he be given $5000 on the eve of his lift.
A dick move if there ever was one.
Update 1: Interview with CEO of the Australian Weightlifting Federation Michael Keelan (via)
Download mp3 right click + ‘save as’
Update 2: Koum still denies everything. Still wants to lift this weekend in Brisbane. Here is an ABC report.
Link to mp3 right click + ‘save as’
Update: Seems like it was a good deal for Koum afterall.
legal technicalities prevent the Australian Weightlifting Federation from trying to enforce potential sanctions. (via)
Update: The case is going to court.
It is sad as SO many lifters would love to be in his position without even being paid! What happened to loving the sport for the sport itself?
Well, it was a single incident and it is not like this behavior is the norm (at least I hope so).
Most people in WL do it for the love of the sport.
It’s easy to say that for someone who doesn’t have the sport as a profession. When alot more things are on the line and a lot more things are put into it, financial output etc. for work and effort put in becomes a bigger issue.