Sat | Aug 3, 2024

Clunis Olympic dream still on the cards

Published:Friday | July 12, 2024 | 12:09 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
Nayoka Clunis competing unattached in the women’s hammer throw final at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association National Junior and Senior Championships at the National Stadium in St Andrew, Jamaica on Sunday, June 30.
Gladstone Taylor/Multimedia Photo Editor
Nayoka Clunis competing unattached in the women’s hammer throw final at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association National Junior and Senior Championships at the National Stadium in St Andrew, Jamaica on Sunday, June 30.

WHILE THERE has been no word from the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) on why hammer thrower Nayoka Clunis was not on its list to World Athletics ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris, the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) has already responded.

“We stepped in as soon as we realised that her name was not shortlisted in the communication sent to World Athletics by the JAAA. We deemed it our responsibility to ensure that aspirations by athletes to wear the national colours with pride and out of love for country and one’s personal ambition to self-actualise on the greatest global stage must materialise,” said JOA president Christopher Samuda.

Samuda went on to say that he empathised with Clunis’ plight.

“The Jamaica Olympic Association shares completely the emotions of Nayoka and empathises with her as she aspires to realise her Olympic dream. We are doing everything in our power to make that dream become a reality for our scholarship recipient and the JOA ambassador achiever,” said Samuda.

Clunis, 100 and 200-metre sprinter Bryan Levell, 400 hurdler Malik James-King, discus thrower Samantha Hall, and triple jumper Shanieka Ricketts have come in for financial assistance from the JOA ahead of the Olympics.

Clunis was set to be the country’s sole representative in the hammer throw by merit of her season’s best throw of 71.83 metres in May, which sees her ranked 25th in the world.

On Wednesday, however, Clunis revealed on X, formally Twitter, that as of now, she has no place at the Olympics.

“Following the Jamaican Olympic trials, I was elated to receive notification of my official selection to Team Jamaica. Unfortunately, I have since found myself in a difficult situation. Due to an omission made by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association, my name was not officially submitted to World Athletics. As such, I do not have a position in the Olympic Games,” she wrote.

The 28-year-old is a four-time national champion who was part of Jamaica’s team to last year’s World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Samuda could not give a timeline about when there would be news about Clunis’ status but said the JOA would continue to make every effort to have her compete.

“It is in our DNA to empower athletes and deliver and inspire Olympic experiences. Nayoka must not be denied,” said Samuda.

Several calls to Garth Gayle, president of the JAAA, went unanswered.

orane.buchanan@gleanerjm.com