Equal Comrades prize money unfair - Shvetsov
Remember Leonid Shvetsov, the Russian doctor who failed by just 37 seconds to catch winner Andrew Kelehe while running his debut Comrades Marathon in 2001?
Well, even though the US-based runner won't be taking part in this year's KwaZulu-Natal classic next Monday, he still keeps up to date with what's happening around the world's biggest ultra-marathon.
And on Monday, the standard marathon star offered his opinion on one of the many contentious issues that have marred the lead-up to the June 16 race - the question of whether women deserve to be paid the same prizemoney as men.
He becomes the third high-profile runner to speak out, following calls by Russian Dmitri Grishin and South African Neil Schalkwyk for the men to be paid more than the women because they "put more into it".
"Here is my opinion on the men/women prizemoney ratio," Shvetsov said via email.
"I allow you to quote me... and 200 percent agree with what Dmitri Grishin and Neil Schalkwyk had to say.
"It is absolutely unfair to have equal prizes for both genders because of (the) difference in competition.
"I don't even see a need to write those reasons myself because Neil and Dmitri both expressed them very clearly.
"I don't know what class of runner (Germany's three-time winner) Maria Bak is, but know very well the level of Russian female runners. And seeing them winning the same or higher prize money than many of the hard-working guys seems to me unfair.
"I would probably never have raised that matter myself as a discussion in the press (in order not to make ladies angry!), but since it has already started, I am in the men's side."