The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has agreed to pay the women’s race winner, Russian athlete Alexandra Morozova, her R260,000 prize money.
“The CMA will officially recognise Ms Morozova’s placing in the 2022 Comrades Marathon,” a settlement agreement between the CMA and the athlete states.
The Russian-born athlete was forced to launch an urgent court application for an order allowing her to run the ultra-marathon. This after the CMA, just two days before the race on Sunday, notified her that she had been “banned”, essentially because she was Russian.
The CMA, in its reasoning, said World Athletics (WA) had given “clear and specific instructions” that Russian elite athletes, or athletes who would probably win prize money, were to be denied entry to its affiliated races because of the war against Ukraine.
The CMA said it was also showing solidarity with athletes from Ukraine who could not participate in international events because they were fighting back home.
Faced with the court application, the CMA backtracked and said she could race, but she could not start with the “elite pack” at the front, even though she is the seventh highest ranked woman in terms of qualifying time. The association said she would have to start at the back, with the H group, the slowest runners, and would not be entitled to any prize money should she get a place on the podium or come in the top 10.
In the court application, which was heard on Saturday morning by Pietermaritzburg high court judge Rob Mossop, Morozova disputed that the WA had given any specific instructions which related to her, as a non-member of Russia’s athletics federation.
She said she was being discriminated against on the basis of her passport. She said she just wanted to run the race, and the question of the prize money could be determined after the race.
Mossop agreed and directed the CMA to allow her to run. He also directed that the matter return to court in November when the prize money issue could be properly ventilated.
Morozova’s attorney, Mark Leathers, told TimesLIVE Premium that the CMA’s attorney had offered to settle the matter. The agreement, which his client had accepted — and which TimesLIVE Premium has seen — was that the CMA would pay her the prize money once she received the required clearance from the SA Institute of Drug Free Sports.
On this basis, the matter would not have to return to court.
The application would be withdrawn and each party would pay its own costs of the court application.
“This settlement is to be in full and final settlement of all matters arising from or connected to the facts giving rise to this matter or the application itself,” the agreement reads. Leathers said: “We have accepted the terms ... I am glad to see the CMA coming to the ethical and legally correct decision without the need to unnecessarily drag out the issue and cause stress for a deserving winner.”
In a message to Leathers, Morozova said: “What a relief ... I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it happened this way.”
CMA chair Mqondisi Ngcobo confirmed the association had decided to pay Morozova her prize money. He would not say why the decision was taken before the matter was taken to court in November.
