Suing over non-selection

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Triple jumper Friedek wins Olympic nomination trial

Dec 15, 2011, 11:58 GMT

Frankfurt - Former triple jump world champion Charles Friedek should have been nominated for the 2008 Olympics by the German Olympic Committee (DOSB), a court said on Thursday.

A Frankfurt district court said that the nomination criteria were not clear and that Friedek should have been on the German team for the Beijing Games after meeting the required distance of 17.00 metres twice.

Friedek, 40, achieved the distance twice in one competition. The German athletics federation DLV, which picks athletes for final approval by the DOSB, argued the criteria had to be met in two events.

The now retired Friedek, who won the world title in 1999, is seeking compensation of more than 130,000 euros (170,000 dollars) from missed prize money and sponsorship income. The compensation claim is to be dealt with at a separate hearing.

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Interesting… :slight_smile:

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A real shame if the federation hadn’t made it clear and didn’t pick this athlete. I think most federations today accept the fact that only the best performance in a field event where multiple rounds are on offer that only the best performance is accepted even if multiple efforts exceed the A standard. In the end of tend the day who really wins here its just a real shame. Lets hope these occurrences are weeded out and organisations put together a qualification process that is easy to understand and implement.

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I still remember Canada’s 400 meter Shane Niemi… made the Olympic B standard (I think) in 1996, 2000, and 2004… and all 3 times he stayed home and watched the Olympics from his TV.

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Because AC didn’t take him?

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yup… AC = Athletics Canada

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THE GERMAN DUDE WON HIS CASE.
BUT REPORT IS IN GERMAN. DID HE WIN AN AWARD OF 70,000 EUROS? ANYONE OFFER A TRANSLATION. THIS IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT CASE IMO. kk

Dreispringer Friedek gewinnt Prozess gegen DOSB

Frankfurt.Charles Friedek hat gegen den DOSB geklagt und gewonnen. Foto: Bernd ThissenDer frühere Dreisprung-Weltmeister Charles Friedek hat seine Klage gegen den Deutschen Olympischen Sportbund wegen seiner Nichtnominierung für Peking 2008 gewonnen.

Der DOSB habe den Nominierungsanspruch des Leverkuseners “schuldhaft verletzt”, teilte das Landgericht in Frankfurt/Main mit. Über den Schadensersatz - Friedek hatte mindestens 133 500 Euro gefordert - entscheidet ein Betragsverfahren.

“Wir werden uns nicht mit einem Apel und Ei abspeisen lassen, die Richterin hatte ja einen Vergleichsvorschlag von 70 000 Euro gemacht”, sagte Friedeks Anwalt Michael Lehner der Nachrichtenagentur dpa und meinte: “Für uns ist das nachträglich eine Genugtuung.”

Allerdings wehrt sich der DOSB und wird vors Oberlandesgericht ziehen. “Das ist ein unverständliches Urteil, da es einer Entscheidung sowohl des Landgerichts Frankfurt als auch des Oberlandesgerichts Frankfurt zur Nominierung von Charles Friedek widerspricht”, sagte DOSB-Sprecher Christian Klaue. “Schon deshalb werden wir dagegen Berufung einlegen.”

Friedek hatte die Olympia-Norm von zweimal 17,00 Metern innerhalb eines Wettbewerbs am 25. Juni in Wesel erfüllt, was der Deutsche Leichtathletik-Verband (DLV) nicht anerkannte. Der Verband verlangte, dass die Weite bei zwei verschiedenen Wettkämpfen erlangt werden müsse. Das Deutsche Sportschiedsgericht gab dem heute 40-Jährigen damals Recht, aber der DOSB nominierte ihn nicht. Mit dem Einspruch gegen die Entscheidung scheiterte Friedek kurz vor den Sommerspielen vor dem Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt.

Aus den Nominierungsrichtlinien, so die 13. Zivilkammer des Gerichts nun, lasse sich diese Vorgabe aber nicht entnehmen. Friedek hatte auf Schadensersatz für entgangene Antritts-, Preis- und Sponsorengelder geklagt.

“Es ist keine Entscheidung, die das ganze System berührt oder beeinträchtigt”, sagte DLV-Präsident Clemens Prokop, räumte aber ein: “Dass Sportler wegen einer schuldhaften Nichtnominierung ein Schadensersatz zugesprochen bekommen könnten, hätte ein neue Qualität.” Noch sei das Urteil aber nicht rechtskräftig und dürfe noch in die Instanzen gehen.

Friedek arbeitet seit 2010 als Trainer in Köln. Der gebürtige Gießener feierte 1999 in Sevilla als Weltmeister seinen größten Triumph. Im gleichen Jahr hatte er in Japan auch in der Halle den WM-Titel geholt. Dreimal (1996, 2000 und 2004) war der Dreispringer bei Olympischen Spielen dabei, 17 Mal siegte er bei deutschen Meisterschaften.

(dpa)

Artikel vom 15. Dezember 2011, 13.31 Uhr (letzte Änderung 17. Dezember 2011, 04.04 Uhr)

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LOOKS LIKE THE JUDGE OFFERED FREIDEK A COMPROMISE PAY-OUT OF 70,000EUROS.
NO DOUBT THE GERMAN SPORTS SYSTEM WILL CONTEST THIS AT A HIGHER COURT, BUT IN THE MEANWHILE EVERY NATIONAL FEDERATION IN THE WORLD WILL NEED TO BE LOOKING AT THE OBJECTIVITY OF THEIR SELECTION CRITERIA AND GET THE WORDING CRYSTAL CLEAR…
kk

“We with a Apel and an egg fob off not to let, the judge a proposal for a compromise of 70,000 euros had made, said” Friedeks lawyer Michael Lehner of the press agency DPA and meant: “For us that is additional a satisfaction.”

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Google Translation:

"Three wins lawsuit against Springer Friedek DOSB

Frankfurt.Charles Friedek has sued the DOSB and won. Photo: Bernd this sender former triple jump world champion Charles Friedek has won his lawsuit against the German Olympic Sports Federation for his non-nomination for Beijing 2008.

The DOSB have the right of nomination Leverkuseners “culpably”, said the Regional Court in Frankfurt / Main. On compensation - Friedek had demanded at least 133 500 € - decides an amount procedure.

“We will not let us off with an egg and Apel, the judge had indeed a proposed settlement of 70 000 € made,” said lawyer Michael Lehner Friedek news agency dpa, saying: “For us this is a great satisfaction afterwards.”

However, defending the DOSB and will take pre Higher Regional Court. “This is an incomprehensible sentence, because it contradicts a decision of both the District Court of Frankfurt and the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court for the nomination of Charles Friedek,” said spokesman Christian DOSB claw. “For that reason, we’ll stop calling the other hand.”

Friedek had the Olympic standard of 17.00 meters twice within a competition on 25 June met in Wesel, which the German Athletics Federation (DLV) is not recognized. The association demanded that the width must be obtained in two different competitions. The German Sports Arbitration Court today gave the 40-year-old right then, but the DOSB not nominated him. With the appeal against the decision Friedek failed just before the Summer Games before the Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt.

From the nomination guidelines, the 13th Civil Chamber of the Court now, can not but refer to this requirement. Friedek had sued for damages for loss of commencement, pricing and sponsorships.

Conceded, “There is no decision affecting the whole system or compromises,” said DLV president Clemens Prokop, but one: “The fact that athletes could get awarded for culpable non-nomination for damages, a new quality would have.” Still, the verdict is not final and could still go into the instances.

Friedek works as a trainer since 2010 in Cologne. Born in Seville in 1999 in Giessen, celebrated his greatest triumph as a world champion. In the same year he was brought into Japan in the hall the world title. Three times (1996, 2000 and 2004) was a triple jumper at the Olympic games to show, he won 17 times German championships."

Thanks for the update, KK!