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≡ TRANSFER OF ALLEGIANCE ≡
Jamaican media reported that four top Jamaican field-event stars – including three Paris 2024 Olympic medal winners – are in the process of transferring their athletic allegiance to Turkey.
Kingston-based SportsMax reported Thursday that 2024 Olympic men’s discus winner Roje Stona and men’s shot put bronze medalist Rajindra Campbell had agreed to compete for Turkey, with additional reports on Friday that Olympic men’s long jump silver medalist Wayne Pinnock and Olympic men’s triple jump fourth-placer Jaydon Hibbert were also converting to Turkish eligibility.
Sportsmax reported Friday:
● “All four athletes are said to be part of a broader initiative driven by Turkish sporting authorities and facilitated by a prominent American sports agent. According to sources, each athlete is set to receive a minimum of US$500,000, along with generous monthly stipends and six-figure bonuses for medals earned at global championships. Reports further suggest that the athletes have agreed to eight-year contracts, effectively committing to Türkiye through the 2032 Olympic cycle.”
● Jamaican Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) President Garth Gayle said in a statement on Friday:
“The transfer of allegiance of athletes is a process that involves the requisite national federations and requires the approval of World Athletics.
“The JAAA wishes to inform the public that, to date, it has neither been notified nor received a request for the transfer of allegiance of any of our Jamaican athletes, whether those mentioned in the referenced media reports or any others.”
World Athletics regulations on eligibility require a lengthy waiting period; from section 4.4.2 of the eligibility rules:
“[A]n Athlete may represent a Second Member with the approval of World Athletics in accordance with the Transfer of Allegiance Regulations, which approval shall be conditional upon:
“a. the Athlete observing a waiting period of three years from the date that the application for approval is made to World Athletics (during which period the Athlete must not represent any other Member in National Representative Competition or compete in any Other Relevant Competition); and
“b. the Athlete demonstrating that as at the end of the waiting period:
“i. they are or will be aged twenty or over; and
“ii. they are or will be a Citizen of the Country or of the parent Country of the Territory which the Member represents; and
“iii. they have or will have a genuine, close, credible and established link to that Country or Territory (e.g., through Residence there).”
So, the action by Turkey in June of 2025 is directly aimed at eligibility for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, which will start on 14 July, with track & field to start on 15 July. This may not be finished.
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