Or, Chicanery Revealed. 213 degrees, one over the boiling point. Macro, micro, all the same.
My old buddy Bob Hersch got jobbed. Bob has for nearly three decades, stellarly served the United States, working his way up to Senior Vice President for the IAAF Council, the most powerful sporting body in the world. Instrumental in our Olympics, World Championships, World Road Championships, and every other national and international event falling under the auspices of IAAF.
Bob received over 80% of the votes in Anaheim last weekend to retain his position. USATF President Stephanie Hightower had other plans. She covets the position. And had her Board of Directors overturn the membership vote. And instilled herself in his position. Unbelieveable. And a done deal. The IAAF will have to approve her highness, to say I hope she is turned down is cutting my nose off to spite my face. To lose the power of a seat on the IAAF Council would be devastating to the United States. But again, the Council appreciated Bob like few others and will be pissed and hard pressed to approve the power hungry maven.
It all turns on the fact that Lamine Diack is retiring as President of the IAAF this August. Sebastian Coe and Sergy Bubka are the candidates to replace Diack. Hightower is banking on Seb getting the nod, she has a very interesting “in” with him, is fully hitched. Should he be elected she will have her seat, if Sergy wins, adios USA.
And still, those that care most and deepest about our sport continue the Good Fight anyway.
But politics being what they are, nothing should surprise anyone these days. I recently got the skinny on how the USATF Nebraska Association elections went down last September. Oh my! So glad I didn’t have to witness that travesty. At least one grievance has been filed on the process. In the end the best person ended up as our LDR Chair, so at least some good came out of the meetings. Peter Falcon is doing a good job and demonstrating a committment that has been lacking since I stepped down. He’s in it to do good work, not just keep me out of the position or pad his resume.
While the Annual meetings are over in Anaheim, my work continues. In it up to our eyes trying to work out details of our 2015 USA Club T&F National Champs. In a sad but necessary move, we have decided to host the event at Ichan Stadium in NYC for the foreseeable future. Just too little participation when the event was contested in the midwest and west coast. That was the easy part. We are still wrangling with the date. Traditionally in July we are trying to move it into June. For good reasons. Scheduling prior to USA Outdoors makes the most sense to me. It would also allow our graduating collegiate athletes to compete without extending their season another 6-8 weeks. Efforts are exciting and heated as we try and tie in with the IAAF Adidas Grand Prix meet, how sweet would it be to be on the same track the same day as Usain Bolt? Sit in the stands with Lo Lo? Good arguments for making the move and yes, good argements against. On our side, Mary Wittenberg, CEO of the NYRR Club. Against, the New York Association President. Gonna be a donnybrook before all is said and done.
Because we care and because it matters.
Paraphrasing a recent overheard comment, “It doesn’t matter, nobody really cares.”
Yes, it does matter.
What we do.
Not to some.
In fact very few.
Matters to me.
How bout you?
If you are a card carrying member of USATF it should.
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