Holmes in Crystal Palace cash row

13 April 2012

Mystery surrounds Kelly Holmes' participation in Sunday's Norwich Union British Grand Prix at Crystal Palace.  

The Olympic 800 metres bronze medallist's name was not on the start list for the country's most prestigious event issued by meeting organisers Fast Track on Friday.

After finishing sixth in Friday's Monaco Golden League meeting the British record holder said that was her final race until the qualifying rounds of the World Championships begin in Edmonton, Canada on August 9.

But this morning a Fast Track spokesman said that a few problems had been resolved and Holmes would line up over 800 metres, in a field which includes Stephanie Graf of Switzerland who claimed the silver medal ahead of Holmes in Sydney last summer.

Before travelling to Monaco where she bettered the world qualifying time by running one minute 59.41 seconds - an outstanding performance in only her third race of the summer after chronic fatigue syndrome delayed her season's start - Holmes said she would decide whether to run in London after the Monaco meeting.

Still not sure she had fully won the battle against the virus, Holmes insisted she felt extremely tired after every race and during the heavy training sessions she has undergone to make up for lost time on the training track.

But Holmes was mostly unhappy at the appearance fee offered to turn out at Crystal Palace.

Holmes believed the meeting organisers added insult to injury because the cost of the business class flight to bring in Olympic 100m and 200m gold medallist Marion Jones and her entourage from the United States was more than the deal Holmes was offered.

But as the former Army sergeant - who is a great favourite amongst British fans - was abroad in Monaco a new deal was done to ensure she would be at the Palace.

"Kelly's name will go on the start list later today," said Fast Track spokesman Andy Kay on Saturday morning.

But whether Holmes turns up remains to be seen.

The deeply principled runner might decide to make a protest by staying away as foreign athletes such as Jones and men's Olympic 100m champion Maurice Greene take the bulk of the appearance money.

Last week Greene was thrown out of the Oslo Golden League meeting.

Promoter Sven Arne Hansen just did not think the American was worth the £66,000 fee although a week earlier Paris organisers happily paid out the sum.

Greene will be receiving a similar amount in London and hopefully the world record holder will perform to a much higher standard than he did on his two visits to the country last summer.

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