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Steffensen to boycott Delhi Games
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SYDNEY: Australia's reigning Commonwealth 400-metre champion John Steffensen will boycott next month's New Delhi games because of a dispute with Athletics Australia (AA), reports said on Thursday.
Steffensen, 28, who won the 400m and 400m relay at the 2006 Melbourne Games, said he wants to expose the "bullying, egotism and outdated approach" of the national governing body.
"This is the toughest decision I've ever had to make but I want people to realise this is more than another headline, more than someone creating controversy," Steffensen told The Daily Telegraph.
Steffensen said he is at odds with AA over what he claims is four years of unanswered complaints.
The outspoken runner told the newspaper that after completing a victory lap at the Melbourne Games, he returned to the athletes' village and found his door had been kicked in and room trashed.
He said AA officials assured him the matter would be dealt with, but he claims four years on nothing has happened.
Steffensen also holds a grievance after his request to seek an exemption from the national championships earlier this year following major back surgery was denied.-Reuters
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