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Gallo Images<\/p>\n
Sunette Viljoen<\/p>\n
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Durban \u2013 Javelin thrower Sunette Viljoen missed out on an Olympic medal by 38cm at last year\u2019s London Games, her throw of 64.53m only good enough for fourth place behind Linda Stahl of Germany. <\/p>\n
That performance was in a year during which she set an African and Commonwealth record and had the backing of South Africa\u2019s Olympic and athletics bodies. <\/p>\n
Today, she is training for the IAAF World Championships, to be held in Russia in August, having been told her funding from the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee will be cut owing to a dispute with Athletics South Africa\u2019s leadership. <\/p>\n
\u201cAs a top athlete, I work hard every day to be in top shape, to be healthy and to ensure I can compete against the best athletes in the world. Having less financial support means giving in on my competitors. Where I would prefer to work on my training and competitions, I now need to worry about money, and that is not a good situation,\u201d said Viljoen in an e-mail to The Mercury. <\/p>\n
Viljoen is one of five \u201cTier 1\u201d athletes whose Sascoc Operation Excellence funding was cut off. <\/p>\n
The others are long jumper and Olympic silver medallist Khotso Mokoena, the young sprinter Anaso Jobodwana, hurdler Lehann Fourie, and decathlete Willem Coertzen. <\/p>\n
Viljoen said her international competitors all received support from their respective federations and sporting bodies, and it was \u201can unfair situation\u201d that South African athletes were not getting the same. <\/p>\n
\u201cBeing the best in the world is being better in all parts of sport: training, physiotherapy, exercises, competitions, knowledge and medical help with injuries. This all costs money.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to choose sides in this situation, but the athletes are not part of the problem, so they should not be the ones to be punished.\u201d <\/p>\n
It is not only the established athletes who are affected, as the cut in funding will also filter down to the junior ranks. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor young and upcoming athletes, it is already hard to make a living when they are not good enough for a sponsorship or to earn their money in competitions. The situation will be that young athletes won\u2019t choose a career as professional athletes any more, as it is not possible to finance such a career,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
Sascoc\u2019s decision to remove ASA from among its members also resulted in athletes not being allowed to compete in International Olympic Committee events, such as the Commonwealth and Olympic Games. <\/p>\n
Viljoen said she hoped Sascoc and ASA would \u201csolve their problems\u201d before the next of these events, with Scotland hosting the Commonwealth Games next year. \u2013 The Mercury <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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