Yesterday, a petition kick started for the inclusion of the hammer throw in the IAAF Diamond League series.
Within just one day, the appeal has received more than 430 signatures from athletes, coaches and fans, all over the world.
The petition was started by 29-year-old German hammer thrower Kathrin Klaas, who holds a personal best of 76.05 metres.
The discipline has been an Olympic event for more than 100 years, with the women being included from 2000, and since then have shown a steady growth in participation.
The goals Klaas aims to achieve from this petition are; an increase in public and media attention, opportunities to teach viewers more about the sport, get rid of the prejudice surrounding the hammer throw, and for the event and athletes to be treated with equality.
While the event is included on both World and Olympic stage, the lack of incorporation in Diamond League meets doesn’t give the athletes the opportunity to win the prize money on offer, and can also hinder them in terms of sponsorship.
As a result, hammer athletes have felt discriminated both socially, and financially, and have been made to feel like second class citizens within the world of track and field.
Petitioners have aired their support on the site:
Guest #4: “There should be no second class event in the athletics programme. It is IAAF duty to respect equality between the events. It is (one more) discrimination toward the throwers!”
Guest #5: “The hammer throw is a powerful, and yet graceful, event which deserves as much support as any of the events.”
Guest #7: “A very most beautiful event in track and field, where fine techniques, speed and power are combined precisely! Integration is a must!”
To show your support, you can sign the petition here: https://bit.ly/1ayMlrJ.
For more information on the petition, you can visit Klaas’ personal site here: https://bit.ly/1amt4X1.
