Runner Nick Symmonds Out Of World Championships In Sponsorship Dispute

“I assure you I will NOT sign the Statement of Conditions as it is written now”.

In a 23-year sponsorship deal that begins in 2018, Nike will pay USATF an average of $20 million a year.

On his Twitter account, Symmonds recently posted: “Proud to have stood my ground and fought another battle for athletes’ rights”.

The problem for Symmonds is that USATF does not define what an official team function is. The Boise native has been in a feud with USATF over his refusal to sign a contract stating he would wear only Team USA or Nike gear at the world championships.

Symmonds, who has taken on the IOC before, also takes issue with the fact that elite runners see only eight percent of USATF revenue, compared with 50 percent or so in most major sports.

But the absence of Symmonds quickly became the big talking point in American track and field on Monday after the runner refused to sign the contract over the apparel restrictions and was left off the team. What would USATF do in that situation?

“I’m happy to wear the team outfit during competition, but they have to relax their rules with our practices and allow us to wear what we are used to wearing”, Jones said.

Symmonds, who is a U.S. National champion and has competed in the Olympic Games, failed to sign a terms and conditions agreement with USA Track & Field that is necessary to be part of the team. “Those specifications may vary from sport to sport, but all sports and teams have them”.

When the official list came out Monday, Symmonds wasn’t on it despite his win at U.S. championships in June.

Boise native Nick Symmonds was left off of Team USA’s roster August 10. Boise native, national champion and world runner-up in the 800 meter run, Nick Symmonds will not represent the United States at the World Championships later this month. She has been an advocate for women athletes and athletes in Olympic sports, and taught classes in sports law while a professor at the Florida Coastal School of Law.

“We look forward to continuing to expand our programs for athletes, and we hope to see Nick on future National Teams”.

Symmonds’ teammate Casimir Loxsom finished third in the 800-meter run at the U.S. Championship and is also sponsored by Brooks.

So, when the world championships kick off in Beijing on August 22, Symmonds will be sitting at home as 131 of his fellow U.S. athletes compete.

Nick Symmonds is at war with USA Track & Field again, but this time he could use some reinforcements. The World Championships are not about a single brand or even a national organization; they are about the athletes. Symmonds is now sponsored by Seattle-based sports company Brooks, and contends that he didn’t sign the document out of a conflict of interest. To be clear, this is USA Track & Field’s uniform-we own the uniform. If I’m on the team, I’ve got my visa, my passport and my bags are packed.

“It’s never going to change unless someone makes a stand. It’s unfortunate that’s going to have to be me”. However, he told Newswire that if he’s banned from competition, he is unsure if he will proceed with legal action, adding that he has sacrificed other potential financial earnings over the summer in preparation for the world championships.