Watts says all AP athletes knew their status

PARIS, France:

TEAM MANAGER of Jamaica’s Olympic athletics team Ludlow Watts has insisted that all alternate participants (AP) were made aware of their status (AP) as controversy continued to unfold surrounding sprinter Kemba Nelson’s reported last-minute removal from the Paris Olympic team.

Watts was speaking as a group of Jamaican athletes arrived yesterday at Gare de l’Est Station from their pre-Olympic camp in Stuttgart, which concluded on Monday.

Nelson was a last-minute addition to the team as an AP but confirmed via X that she was told she was no longer required.

Watts outlined the situation with APs and their inability to access the athletes’ village but has stated that all athletes were made aware of where they stood.

“All the athletes knew their status. I do not think that there is anyone that didn’t know their status. The problem with the AP athletes in the Olympics is that you cannot stay in the athletes’ village whereas at the World Championships, the JAAA would have paid the money, and we would have them in reserve,” Watts said.

“The Olympics is not really a JAAA event, so to speak, and the expense would have to be borne by the Olympic Association, but we would know that if we had a World Championships.”

Watts said the situation would be more clear by today as to which of the reserves would be called on to make the trip to Paris.

“Normally, the only time that we would use them is in a relay situation, but by (today), we will know exactly the status of certain things that are taking place,” Watts said.

The matter is just one of the pressing matters off the track for Jamaican track and field as the JAAA is still facing backlash after an administrative error resulted in hammer thrower Nayoka Clunis being left off the team despite qualifying via world ranking.

Despite criticism regarding the way the administration dealt with the situation, Watts says it is exploring all possibilities to ensure that there is a satisfactory resolution to the matter. Clunis is also trying to do her bit with an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but funding issues have meant that she has had to seek money through a GoFundMe campaign.

“It is being addressed at the moment. I think that everybody is satisfied that we are doing all that is necessary to make things the best that they can be,” Watts said.

The CAS ad hoc division ruled on Monday that the matter could not be dealt with because it was “outside of its jurisdiction”.