World Athletics turned down 11 requests by elite athletes to represent Turkey at international competitions. The officials said that the applications are linked to an effort coordinated to attract foreign athletes by offering attractive financial incentives.
Athletes of high profile affected
Five Kenyans were also part of the group, including former world marathon record-holder Brigid Kossei. The list also included four Jamaicans, one Nigerian and one Russian athlete.
Roje Stona won the gold medal in men’s discus at the 2024 Paris Games. The other athletes were Catherine Relin Amanang’ole. Brian Kibor. Ronald Kwemoi. Nelvin Jwemboi. Rajindra Campell. Jaydon Hibbert. Wayne Pinnock. Favour Ofili. Sophia Yakushina.
World Athletics position
World Athletics stated that approving such transfers would be against their eligibility rules. The organization said that there was a pattern in the requests that didn’t match up with the rules of the sport regarding changing national representation.
Turkish athletics: Background information
In recent years, Turkey has heavily invested in talent importation to enhance its performance in global competitions. The country won eight medals in total, but no gold at the Paris Olympics of 2024.
