Berliner Tageblatt - Paralympian great Peacock calls on Coe to give equal billing in Diamond League

The 31-year-old Briton was speaking after he finished fifth in the men's T64 100m Paralympic final in Paris, a result he said reflected the strength of the event.

Peacock said his category and that of the T63, which was won by impressive 19-year-old American Ezra Frech on Monday, merited being in the Diamond League programme and not a starter before the main course.

"I call on Seb Coe to take us into the Diamond League," said Peacock, referring to the British president of track and field's governing body.

"Because this is an event, like I said, four different winners of four championships, running these kind of times since 2017.

"That's seven years now that we've had so many fast people, we've had about seven people run 10.6sec. This is a race that I think people want to see, this is a race that chops and changes."

Peacock, who aged five had to have his lower right leg amputated after contracting meningitis, said the density of talent right across athletics in the Paralympics was extraordinary.

"Seb Coe, I need you, we need you, and we need you to put us in the actual Diamond League, not a cheerleader event, not five minutes before the cameras turn on, but when the cameras are on. We need to be visible.

"So much of the media at the moment will argue about visibility representation. Well then where are we? Where are we in the Diamond Leagues?"

Peacock, who burst onto the scene when aged 19 he won his first Paralympic 100m title in his 'home' London 2012 Games, said he had made the call many times.

"You know, I've been calling on this for how many years now? 12 years," he said.

"Not once in 12 years have we been in the programme. Why? They are paying lip service to Paralympians.

"It is stick them on before anyone gets in their seats and then at least we can pretend that it looks good."

- 'One-up Seb' -

Peacock, who said he has no intention of retiring nd admitted such talk irritated him, also ridiculed the idea of placing disabled athletes in able-bodied races.

"Let's also mix it up so someone can break a world record and come sixth.

"No, that's a joke, and it's a disrespect to the person finishing sixth, who's a gold medal athlete.

"Put people up against their competitors, showcase the sport as it should be, because we've got some fantastic events."

Peacock, whose fame in Britain has surpassed Paralympic sport, said if World Athletics did not do something then American legend Michael Johnson's newly launched Grand Slam Track League should step in.

Johnson launched the competition in June, which will feature four annual Slams next year and has a total of $12.6 million prize money across the events.

"Michael Johnson could help us out, absolutely," he said.

"If he could stick us on, if Michael Johnson wants to talk about it, he can maybe one-up Seb, come and get us in first.

"There's enough US stars, you've got Hunter (Woodhall) in America, Ezra (Frech), I think they've got enough people.

"So I think Michael Johnson needs to start showcasing Paralympic sport.

"I'm pretty sure that what we do is athletic, so get us in an athletics meet."

H.Seidel--BTB