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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Sean Ingle

‘It seems crazy’: Josh Kerr unhappy with world indoor athletics prize money

Josh Kerr celebrates 3,000m gold on Saturday
Josh Kerr won 3,000m gold but says prize money in Glasgow was lower than meeting appearance fees for athletes like Noah Lyles. Photograph: Sam Mellish/Getty Images

Josh Kerr has hit out at the lack of money in track and field, calling the $40,000 (£31,500) on offer to gold medallists at the World ­Athletics Indoor Championships “crazy” ­compared to other sports, and urged fresh investment – whether it is from Saudi Arabia or elsewhere.

The 26-year-old, who won the world 3,000m indoor title with a storming performance on Saturday, also made it clear he backed Michael Johnson’s recently announced plans to set up a new US-funded athletics league in 2025. Johnson, a four-time Olympic gold ­medallist, is said to have already raised ­millions in an attempt to revolutionise the sport with a TV-friendly team-based ­format, and last week joined forces with global sports marketing firm, Winners Alliance.

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