Jamaica: Deep concerns over Women’s 4x100m relay team amid Olympic controversies

PARIS, France — MVP Track Club coach Stephen Francis is not convinced Jamaica will be able to field a full team for the women’s 4x100m relay at the Paris Olympics.

This was evident as he spoke after news broke that Kemba Nelson had been told she was no longer required for the Jamaican relay team just days before they were expected to leave from their pre-Olympics camp in Stuttgart, Germany.

But the biggest controversy of them all was opened when Nelson, who was to join the unit as an alternate participant (AP), at the 11th hour, took to X (previously Twitter), to vent her frustration.

Talking about the mentioned inconvenience during a training session at France, Francis voiced his frustration, saying “If I was Kemba Nelson, I wouldn’t be coming back anywhere, I would stay in Spain and whatever happens, happens. But I know they will not have enough personnel for the 4×100.”

The Nelson matter represents the second of two controversies currently rocking the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) as its track and field activities get underway. The other concerns hammer thrower Nayoka Clunis, who has been left off the team, though she had secured qualification for the Games.

The 28-year-old Clunis, who achieved the qualifying standards through the quota system, is where extra athletes are selected on the criteria of world rankings to ensure global representation. However, due to an “unfortunate omission,” her name was not forwarded to World Athletics, her spot was assigned to Iryna Klymets of Ukraine.

Clunis filed an appeal to the CAS ad hoc division, but it accepted that it could not hear the matter because of restrictions over jurisdiction.

As the Olympics in Paris approach, the focus of attention on the Jamaican team’s preparations for the tournament has been shifted by all this noise about their qualification and participation.