Cliona NíCheallacháin NicChárthaigh took part in the Spanish Throwdown, a CrossFit event in Madrid, Spain. However, despite winning second place, she will not be receiving her prize money.
Cliona took part in the Spanish Throwdown, around two weeks ago, earning an impressive second place victory. Subsequently, she should have been gifted a prize of €300 in cash, along with a trophy. However, due to the competition running more than two hours behind, she was forced to leave the competition before taking the podium, in order to catch a plane.
Apparently this is enough to stop her from earning that prize money. Cliona shared some screenshots of a conversation between her and the officials of the Spanish Throwdown. In the conversation, you can see her asking for the second place prize money, and the winners sign to put in her gym. Unfortunately she was informed that due to the fact she was not at the awards ceremony, she would receive no prize.
The only problem with this, is that Cliona says she spoke to the head judge before leaving for the competition. According to her, she was given the okay to leave early if necessary. Despite this, the people of the Spanish Throwdown would not budge, going as far as being sarcastic and rude with the athlete.
This is her Instagram post, and screenshots from her conversation:
“Last weekend I went to Madrid to take part in the Spanish Throwdown. I took days off work, paid entry, flights & accom in order to take part in this competition, as do many other crossfitters. From the start there was a clear language barrier, however little did I know that this would impact my weekend as much as it did.
After a tough weekend I went into the final in 2nd place, spoke to the head judge (who briefed the athletes all weekend in Spanish & English prior to each wod) about the fact that the comp was 2 hours late and that I had to leave straight away after the final, in order to get to my flight home on time, so would miss podium presentations.
He then took my name, email and phone number on his phone and agreed to contact me after the prizes had been sorted. I went into the final & finished in joined first, but after tie break had been sorted I finished in 2nd.
Delighted with my finish, I messaged the @spanishthrowdown Facebook page thanking them for the weekend and asking about how I was going to receive my prize. Unfortunately for me, on landing in Dublin airport I got a picture of my prize with the caption ‘no podium,no prize’.
Even after messaging back and forth I was sent a picture of the athlete guide where it says in small print that if the athlete doesn’t stand on the podium they won’t receive their prize.I told them that I had never been informed of this before, even from their head judge!
I pleaded with this organization to allow one of my friends to collect my prize in Madrid, but they refused.. something I found very weird for a ‘non-profit organisation’.
For a competition which is striving to be part of the sanctionals calendar next year they are missing one key component that is the epitome of all sanctionals – a community aspect, where its competitors are at the core.Just a word of warning to athletes, before you take days off work, spend your money on flights, accom and entry, before you put sweat, blood and tears into a 3 day comp.. make sure your work will be rewarded, because I know for one that mine hasn’t been.”
This is truly a terrible thing to happen to Cliona NíCheallacháin NicChárthaigh. In an effort to support her, the community has banded together to start a GoFundMe for her. Additionally, the people at FITAID have agreed to donate the amount of the prize money to her.
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