KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Athletics Association (JAAA) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting hammer thrower Nayoka Clunis after a recent Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling rejected her appeal to be included in the Paris Olympics.
On Monday, a special division of CAS dismissed Clunis’ request, citing jurisdictional issues as the dispute arose outside the 10-day period for Olympic-related disputes. The JAAA acknowledged the ruling and stated their continued efforts to advocate for Clunis’ participation.
“The CAS accepts that the CAS Special Committee does not have the jurisdiction to hear this matter,” the JAAA said in a statement. “We have always supported Clunis’ participation and have petitioned World Athletics to include her on the participant list, even if it meant increasing the number to 33. However, World Athletics has maintained their position of 32 participants, with any vacancies allocated to her.”
The JAAA further noted that the CAS found the association would not have been able to provide the relief sought by Clunis and emphasized that World Athletics and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) would be responsible for any potential remedy.
“We are deeply saddened that this situation persists and are committed to working with World Athletics and the IOC to find a way for Clunis to compete,” the JAAA added.
The administrative error, which led to Clunis’ omission from the qualification list, was attributed to Hurricane Beryl, which disrupted power and internet services, preventing the JAAA from updating the list in time.
Despite the setback, the JAAA remains dedicated to resolving the issue and ensuring that Clunis has the opportunity to compete in the upcoming Olympic Games.
