Jamaica asks IAAF to withdraw Powell, Fraser and 4 others from world championships entry list

Jamaica asks IAAF to withdraw athletes from worlds

BERLIN — The Jamaican team asked track’s governing body to withdraw six athletes, including former 100-meter world-record holder Asafa Powell and two Olympic gold medalists, from the world championships entry list Wednesday in an apparent dispute over training camp attendance.

IAAF secretary general Pierre Weiss said the request was made early Wednesday but didn’t disclose a reason. The Jamaican athletics federation has been in a dispute with several athletes over a training camp for worlds.

The other athletes are 100 Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser, 400 hurdles Olympic gold medalist Melaine Walker, hurdler Brigitte Foster-Hylton, sprinter Shericka Williams and 400 runner Kaliese Spence.

The request could be rescinded because the final entry list has to be with organizers 48 hours before the opening event. The worlds start Saturday in Berlin, and the withdrawals will only become official at midday Thursday.

Jamaican officials attending the IAAF congress declined to immediately comment.

Any such pullout would seriously undermine Jamaica’s chances of maintaining its domination over the United States in the sprint events that it established at last year’s Beijing Olympics.

After capturing five of six sprint events in Beijing with the U.S. winless, Jamaica’s rise had been expected to be a key theme at the worlds.

Even though three-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt is not directly affected by the decision, a sprint relay team without Powell is expected to be weaker. Powell ran the anchor leg in Beijing as Jamaica set a world record, one of three for Bolt at the games.

The Jamaican federation also asked the IAAF to ban the withdrawn runners from the athletes village.

Earlier this week, Jamaican Amateur Athletic Association president Howard Aris warned the athletes that they would miss worlds unless they appear at a training camp outside Berlin.