3 min. reading
Last week, an American federal judge made a decision widely ignored here, but which could revolutionize the so-called “amateur” sport in the United States, that is to say most of the Olympic sports. Claudia Wilken, principal judge of the United States District Court for the Northern California District, has paved the way for the abolition or reduction of many university scholarships for athletes from these disciplines and corresponding university programs in non-commercial sports. This will ultimately imply much fewer American medals in Olympic sports and, potentially, a disinterest of the public and sponsors for games.
Why and how did we get to this three-year situation from Los Angeles Games in 2028? You should know that in the United States, the preparation of high-level athletes is essentially of the school system and, following it, of the university system. The best athletes (including non -American) can obtain a scholarship to study in one of the many universities in the country, very expensive, and, at the same time, continue to train as far as they maintain a good university level.
