World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has emphasized that the organization would remain firm in the face of requests for changes in sporting nationality, “unless valid reasons” are provided.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (World Athletics) will “remain firm” on changes in sporting nationality, President Sebastian Coe warned on Friday to AFP, two weeks after rejecting 11 requests made by Turkey. Frustrated by its performance at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris (zero gold medals), Ankara launched a campaign for naturalization ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. In athletics, this specifically involved five Kenyan and Jamaican Olympic medalists.
“If it is simply about wanting to move from one federation to another, which does not meet the criteria, we will remain firm,” Coe told AFP from Gaborone, Botswana’s capital where the World Relays are taking place on Saturday and Sunday. A specialized committee is reviewing these requests, but, “unless valid reasons,” the International Federation applies a “very clear philosophy,” he explained: “The country in which an athlete starts their career is where they finish it.”
Among the eleven athletes recruited by Turkey and then rejected by the International Federation are three Jamaicans who won medals in Paris: Roje Stona (gold in discus throw), Wayne Pinnock (silver in long jump), and Rajindra Campbell (bronze in shot put). The refusal also affects Kenyan Brigid Kosgei, former marathon record holder and silver medalist at the 2021 Tokyo Games, and her compatriot Ronald Kwemoi, silver medalist in the 5,000 meters in Paris.
Coe wants to encourage federations to develop local talent
“There are exceptional circumstances that allow for acceptance of these requests, which can be marriage, studies, or political intolerance,” Coe reiterated. The Federation’s regulations aim to protect the credibility of competitions and encourage countries to develop local talent, he emphasized. “Most federations rely heavily on public investments, they will dry up if governments feel they are investing in talent development programs for other countries,” the World Athletics chief estimated. “It’s not complicated.”
Botswana star sprinter Letsile Tebogo, the first African sprinter to be crowned Olympic champion in the 200 meters at the 2024 Paris Olympics, revealed in December that he had received offers from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Tunisia during an interview with local radio Duma FM. He clarified that a change was not in the works. Despite being a sparsely populated country of 2.5 million, Botswana is facing economic challenges due to the decline in diamond prices, which represent 30% of its GDP. However, the country excels in athletics, particularly in the 200m, 400m, and 4x400m events in recent years.
