Posted by KINGSTON: The controversy surrounding the six MVP Track Club athletes who missed Jamaica’s athletics team mandatory training camp in Nuremberg, Germany, ahead of the start of the World Championships in Berlin, was put to rest on Friday (Nov 27).
The disciplinary panel, chaired by former Jamaica Chief Justice Lensley Wolfe and which included former Attorney General of Jamaica, Winston Spaulding and Queen’s Counsel and former Chief of Staff of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), Major General John Simmonds, said the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) had already taken a decision on the matter and they cannot revisit the case.
Former world record holder Asafa Powell: Brigitte Foster-Hylton, the World 100 metres hurdles Champion:
Olympic and World 100m champion Shelly Ann Fraser: Melaine Walker, winner of the Olympic and World Championships 400m hurdles titles: Shericka Williams (silver in 400m): and Kaliese Spencer (4th place in 400mh), are the athletes who missed the camp and were awaiting the disciplinary panel’s decision.
Below is the letter with the disciplinary panel’s finding.
November 14, 2009.
To Garth Gayle, honorary secretary, Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA).
Dear Sir,
With reference to your letter dated October 25, 2009 in which the non attendance of five Jamaican athletes at the training camp, which was arranged for athletes who were representing Jamaica in the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Germany was referred to the disciplinary committee.
The members of the disciplinary committee met on Thursday, November 5, 2009. Having given due consideration to the matter, the committee is unanimously of the view that there is no further action that can be taken.
A sanction was imposed against the offenders and at the insistence of the president of the IAAF, the sanction was withdrawn. To attempt to revisit the matter would be tantamount to trying them twice.
Something needs to be done to get the coaches to be more cooperative. They need to understand that it is the JAAA that is invited to these meets and the athletes only become eligible to participate if selected by the JAAA.
It should be borne in mind, that the IAAF had been advised that the camp would be held and that all the athletes would be in attendance. Among other things, this would facilitate the out of competition drug testing by the IAAF as may be required. The failure of the athletes to attend the camp could have brought about consequences for both the athletes and the IAAF.
Signed
Lensley Wolfe, former chief Justice, chairman
Winston Spaulding, Queen’s Counsel.
Major General John Simmonds.
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good decision
People Power.
I believe Aris and Quarrie got the messege. People pay money to see these guys and gals, in any form, win or lose.
Just get the hell out of their way.
I think the decision was cowardly. What The MVP athletes did was a blatantly show of disrepect for authority. While I believe that they should have been allowed to participate in the games (as they did) I believe that some disciplinary action should have been taken at the end. Anyway, our entire society is already indiciplined and lawless, so I suspect this is to be expected
Symone… The JAAA must work with the coaches and athletes, not against the. The history of this JAAA management, if one can call them management, has been antagonistic towards athletes.WHY? Especially for a body that does not do anything, except try to grab the headlines. They are trying to make people feel like they are doing something. They can do us all a big favor, get out of the athletes way and take orders from the IAAF. They are a useless bunch.
Stephen Francis has proven himself with hardware, and he knows athletics. Show me anything that you can attribute to the JAAA, and I will agree with you.
Symone,
You are so correct. This decision just cement the go-ahead for the other athletes to now break the rules and/or be disrespectful. Be prepared for another upstage at the next world champs.
Anna…. the sport belongs to the athletes, not those clowns at JAAA. I dont pay money to see or hear them.