Eleven track and field athletes, including five Olympic medalists, had applications to switch their nationalities to Turkiye refused by a World Athletics panel.
The following athletes were denied requests to transfer their allegiances:
Catherine Relin (Selin Can) Amanang’ole (Kenya)
Rajindra Campbell (Jamaica) — 2024 Olympic shot put bronze medalist
Jaydon Hibbert (Jamaica)
Brian Kibor (Kenya)
Brigid Kosgei (Kenya) — 2020 Olympic marathon silver medalist
Ronald Kwemoi (Kenya) — 2024 Olympic 5000m silver medalist
Nelvin (Can) Jepkemboi (Kenya)
Favour Ofili (Nigeria)
Wayne Pinnock (Jamaica) — 2024 Olympic long jump silver medalist
Roje Stona (Jamaica) — 2024 Olympic discus gold medalist
Sophia Yakushina (Russia)
The panel said that approving the applications would “impinge upon and compromise the imperatives underlying the World Athletics eligibility rules and transfer of allegiance regulations.”
“The panel found that the applications formed part of a coordinated recruitment strategy led by the Türkiye government acting through a wholly‑owned and financed government club, to attract overseas athletes through lucrative contracts, with the aim of facilitating transfers of allegiance and enabling those athletes to represent Türkiye at future international competitions, including the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games,” according to a press release. “Given the common features across the applications, the panel assessed them together and determined that such an approach is inconsistent with the core principles of the regulations. These principles are designed to safeguard the credibility of international competition, encourage Member Federations to invest in the development of domestic talent and maintain confidence among athletes that national teams are not primarily assembled through external recruitment.”
It was reported last June that Jamaica’s top field athletes sought to switch to Turkiye, citing greater financial support offered by the European nation.
“It was just a smart decision on my end,” Stona, who leading up to his Olympic title trained in Arkansas and was coached by Olympic shot put gold medalist Ryan Crouser, told The Inside Lane in July without mentioning specific financial reasons. “The offer came up, and based on how my career is going, I think it was the smartest decision so far in my career. I’ve got to think about it as I’m a professional, just took up the offer as it came to me. ... It wasn’t anything personal. It’s just on a professional level.”
After Thursday’s announcement, Stona was “very distraught and disappointed,” his agent, Paul Doyle, told TV Jamaica.
“This is a guy who’s changed his life to be in Turkiye and to be connected to Turkiye,” Doyle said. “I know they gave reasoning for their decision, but if you look at the transfers of allegiances that have happened in the past, and even over the past few months and six months, it seems nonsensical to me that these athletes could be rejected. ... There’s certain marks and boxes you have to check in order to make a transfer of allegiance, and Roje checked every single one. There’s nothing up for debate and that he’s followed the rules completely. And to me, this decision does not make sense. It feels like there’s something else at play.”
Jamaica, typically a sprint power, won four of its six 2024 Olympic medals in field events, led by Stona’s discus gold, the first gold medal for a Jamaican outside of the 26 previous won in sprints and relays.
World Athletics rules stipulate that athletes who switch nationalities must sit out three years since last representing their previous nation in a major championship.
None of Campbell, Pinnock and Stona competed at last September’s World Championships.
