JOA goes to bat for retired sprinter’s Commonwealth gold

While the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) is preparing for the upcoming Commonwealth Games and the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, JOA President Christopher Samuda says he is determined to ensure Jamaican athletes are recognised for their medal upgrades.
Jamaica’s women’s 4x100m relay team of Kemba Nelson, Natalliah Whyte, Remona Burchell, and Elaine Thompson-Herah saw their bronze medal from the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games upgraded to a silver.
The decision was made after Nigeria, the gold medallists, were disqualified after Grace Nwokocha was suspended for an anti-doping violation.
Nigeria’s disqualification saw England upgraded to the gold medal, while Australia were upgraded to the bronze.
Samuda supported the decision made by the Commonwealth Sport and said it is important for an athlete’s determination and sacrifice to be recognised with the rightful medals.
“I believe that when an athlete commits time, energy, and resources, and compromises other opportunities that that athlete may have, they deserve a medal and our athletes deserve to be recognised,” the JOA president said.
“This is something that we had indicated from early in terms of the women’s 4x100m at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. It didn’t take a lot of convincing because [Commonwealth Sport] is palpably aware that that must take place.”
But Samuda said Jamaica’s women’s 4x100m relay team is not the only one due a medal upgrade, pointing to Tayna Lawrence as another Jamaican athlete who deserves a medal upgrade.
Lawrence, a retired Jamaican sprinter, represented the island at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, where she initially finished third in the women’s 100m.
She finished behind Marion Jones of the United States and Greece’s Ekaterini Thanou, who finished second.
In 2007, Jones admitted she had won the gold medal while doping, but Thanou was not upgraded to a silver medal due to her own anti-doping violations at the 2004 Olympic Games.
Samuda said with this in mind, it is only just for Lawrence to be upgraded to the gold medal.
“In relation to Tayna Lawrence, she came third and the persons who were before her, one was stripped for an anti-doping violation and then another one fell short as well,” Samuda explained.
“We are saying Tayna must get the gold now. The crown must be hers, and so we are ensuring that our advocacy achieves that, and I’m hoping to have good news for her quite shortly.”
gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com