THE REAL POWER IN TRACK & FIELD AND WHY ATHLETES MUST RECLAIM IT. By Richard Hugh Blackford.

As the debate intensifies over the restriction of athlete allegiance switching—particularly affecting talent-rich nations like Jamaica, Nigeria, and Kenya—it is time to ask a more fundamental question:

Where does power in track and field truly reside? Is it with federations, is it with sponsors, is it with agents, or does it sit at the very top with World Athletics? The answer is not as straightforward as it appears.

THE STRUCTURE OF POWER; BUILT FROM THE TOP DOWN

At the apex sits World Athletics. It governs Eligibility, Competition structures, Rankings and Rules of engagement. Its financial base is formidable and diversified, comprising Broadcast rights, Corporate sponsorships (Toyota, TDK, Sony, etc.), Olympic revenue distribution via the International Olympic Committee, and Long-term commercial agreements with Dentsu. World Athletics even monetizes the ecosystem itself:

Licensing athlete agents, Charging accreditation and compliance fees, Exercising exclusive regulatory control.

On paper, this is where the power lies. But that is only structural power.

THE FEDERATIONS: GATEKEEPERS OF ACCESS

Below sits national bodies like the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association. They Select national teams, Manage athlete entry into global competitions, secure sponsorships (e.g., Puma deals), receive government funding and event-based revenues. They are the gatekeepers of opportunity. But their power is conditional:

They depend on athlete performance for relevance, They depend on global events for income, they operate within rules set above them. They control who gets through the door—but not the building itself.

SPONSORS: THE ECONOMIC ENGINE

Sponsors are not visible in governance discussions, but they are central to the system’s survival. They fund Events, Broadcast appeal,

Athlete endorsements. Their interest is simple: For them it is about Return on visibility and engagement. If the audience disappears, so does the money. And if the athletes disappear… the audience disappears.

AGENTS: FACILITATORS, NOT POWER HOLDERS

Agents operate within a tightly regulated framework controlled by World Athletics. They negotiate contracts, secure endorsements, and manage careers. But they pay to operate. They must comply with centralized rules. They do not control access or structure. They are brokers of opportunity—not owners of power.

THE ATHLETES: THE TRUE SOURCE OF VALUE

Now we arrive at the foundation of the entire system. The athletes.

They produce the performances, Attract the audiences, drive sponsorship value, and sustain the global appeal of the sport. Without them, there are no events. No broadcast deals. No sponsorships, and no federations of consequence. And yet they are treated as participants, dependents. Replaceable units in a structured system.

This is the greatest contradiction in track and field. The athletes are the most powerful piece on the board—yet they operate as if they have none.

HOW POWER WAS LOST

Power was not taken from the athletes., It was ceded. Their power was ceded to governing bodies to organize competition. It was ceded to federations to manage access, as well as to agents to negotiate value; not to mention ceded to sponsors to define visibility. Individually, this made sense. Collectively though, it created a system where everyone profits from the athlete—except the athlete proportionately to their value

WHY THE ALLEGIANCE RULE MATTERS

This is why the current allegiance-switching issue is not just about nationality. It is about control. When World Athletics can restrict where an athlete competes, limit their exposure, influence their earning potential…it is exercising power over the athlete’s economic freedom. And when federations support these measures, despite lacking the capacity to support their own athlete base, the imbalance becomes even more stark.

THE PATH FORWARD: ATHLETE POWER MUST BE ORGANIZED

The solution is not emotional outrage. It is organization. Athletes must begin to see themselves as: Stakeholders, Collective economic actors, and as owners of the product. This means:

Forming independent athlete bodies or unions

Coordinating across nations (Jamaica, Kenya, Nigeria, etc.)

Engaging sponsors directly

Challenging policies that restrict mobility and earnings

Because here is the reality: No athlete = No product. No product = No revenue. No revenue = No system. Track and field is not powered by policy, but by performance.; and that performance comes from athletes. Until athletes recognize that they are not just participants—but the engine of the entire enterprise—they will continue to operate at the bottom of a system built on their backs.

The allegiance debate has exposed something deeper than a rule dispute. It has exposed a power imbalance. And for the first time in a long time, athletes have a clear opportunity to correct it.

The question is: Will they take it?