JAAA responds to Carter blunder ... says reserve matter has never been a problem

The Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) has responded to criticisms over its blunder which has cost Nesta Carter a chance to compete in the 100m at the World Championships now underway in China.

An opportunity emerged for Carter to replace Kemar Bailey-Cole had to pull out because of injury.

Carter would have joined Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell and Nickel Ashmeade in the flat event.

But the IAAF rejected Carter's application because he was never entered as a reserve athlete for the 100m before the August 10 submission deadline.

Team Manager Ludlow Watts told The Gleaner's Andre Lowe in Beijing that it in the past, it has never been an issue to enter a substitute whose name was never previously submitted as a reserve.

"I am still surprised that we are having this problem now," said Watts.

He said the understanding of the rule was that any athlete in the pool could be inserted once the change was made 24 hours before the competition.

There is an inconsistency, however, because the JAAA has entered a reserve for the 200m.

Yesterday, the Jamaican camp officially appealed the decision of the IAAF technical delegate to reject Carter's application.

However last night, the IAAF turned down the appeal.

Carter’s coach Stephen Francis was extremely annoyed with the situation, blasting the JAAA for what he considered another show of incompetence, and called for greater accountability.

AUDIO: Coach Francis livid Carter out of 100 m because of JAAA blunder

"This is beyond incompetent. It is even beyond being dumb; I don’t know if there is a word we can find to describe this!" Francis said.

Carter, a bronze medal winner in the 100m from the last World Championships in Moscow in 2013, was originally selected to compete in the 4x100m.

He is expected to feature in the sprint relays, which get under way on August 29.