Participation is not worth it
Darts boss: “The Olympics are a crime against athletes”
December 7, 2023, 8:44 p.m
For many athletes, the Olympic Games are the biggest dream they ever want to fulfill. But not everyone shares this exuberant praise. On the contrary, the German darts official von Moltke doesn’t say anything good about the mega event.
Darts official Werner von Moltke has no ambition to see his sport at the Olympic Games. Instead, he sharply criticized the International Olympic Committee (IOC). “The Olympics are a crime against athletes,” said the managing director of the Professional Darts Corporation for German-speaking countries (PDC Europe) eight days before the start of the World Championships (December 15th to January 3rd, 2024).
Darts “made it without the Olympics,” von Moltke continued. “We have achieved a status that is crazy. We are not only a phenomenon in Germany. It is crazy what has emerged from this small sport.” It would be nice for the player if Germany’s current number one Gabriel Clemens took part, but he shouldn’t be told “that the Olympics are a great thing.” This is only “for the IOC and the television companies every four years,” explained von Moltke. Specifically, he denounced the fact that, despite billions in revenue from the games, there was no prize money for the athletes and that they did not participate enough in the success.
Are Olympic champions the losers?
As the son of the former sports official Werner von Moltke, he observed canoeists, judoka and rowers. They “sacrificed their entire lives for nothing. Some became Olympic champions, but otherwise they sacrificed everything and participated in zero part in the success,” said von Moltke.
Instead, it works for privately organized sports and leagues, such as football, NBA basketball, Formula 1 or golf. “If you look at the highest-earning athletes on the Forbes list: There is no track and field athlete, no swimmer, no gymnast,” said von Moltke: “The classic Olympic sports are the losers of the last 30 or 40 years.”
The Darts World Cup starts on December 15th in London. A total of 96 participants are at the start and prize money of 2.5 million pounds (2.92 million euros) will be awarded. The final will take place on January 3rd. As a semi-finalist from last year, Clemens is one of the extended favorites. “Lives can change there. It is simply the biggest and most important tournament,” said the 40-year-old from Saarland. He plays for the first time at Alexandra Palace on December 21st (10pm) and will travel to London on December 19th.