Athletics SA shoots itself in the foot

• Organisation must cut an athlete from already small world championships squad after selection bungle

Athletics SA suffered a selfinflicted black eye on Monday as it was forced to cut one athlete from its world championship squad after erroneously entering discus thrower Victor Hogan. The federation‚ remaining defiant amid calls by athletes to increase the size of the team it is sending to London for the August 4-13 showpiece‚ had to backtrack over Hogan’s selection.

Athletics SA has suffered a selfinflicted black eye as it was forced to cut one athlete from its world championship squad after entering discus thrower Victor Hogan erroneously.

Remaining defiant amid calls by athletes to increase the size of the team it is sending to London for the August 4-13 showpiece‚ it had to backtrack over Hogan’s selection on Monday.

In a media release‚ Athletics SA said it had “entered his name as the [African] champion based on his win of the continental title” in Durban in 2016.

But the sport’s world governing body‚ the IAAF‚ had rejected Hogan’s entry because of his 2016 doping suspension.

Athletics SA said he failed a test at the national championships in April‚ nullifying all results thereafter‚ including the African championships about two months later.

Athletics SA president Aleck Skhosana suggested on Sunday that Hogan was included because he had thrown a qualifying standard‚ but the IAAF and other respected athletics websites had no record of this feat.

Athletics SA said the world championship squad now comprised 23 athletes — 17 men and six women. No fewer than 38 South African athletes qualified for the August championships in London by achieving the standards set by the IAAF.

But Athletics SA imposed tougher criteria which only 18 achieved. Using their discretion‚ the Athletics SA selectors picked five IAAF qualifiers.

Athletics SA released the controversial team on Friday‚ telling athletes they should lodge appeals by the end of Sunday. Several athletes did‚ but Athletics SA has refused to budge.

Skhosana said the final team was submitted to the IAAF before the deadline of noon on Monday. It would seem the only chance for SA’s excluded athletes is to hope they get invited by the IAAF to fill quotas.

The IAAF has stipulated the number of athletes it wants to compete in each discipline — they range from 32 in field events to 56 in the sprints — and if too few athletes qualify‚ the body then invites other athletes to make up the numbers.

Nations can enter a maximum of three per discipline‚ so in sprint races athletes can move up the world rankings once superfluous Jamaicans and Americans are deducted.

It is the same in distance events‚ once the extra Kenyans and Ethiopians are removed.

That means the omitted athletes‚ who were forced to wait to hear that they had not earned Athletics SA’s clemency‚ will have to wait a little longer.

Skhosana has consistently insisted that Athletics SA’s tough qualifying standards are aimed at lifting the standard of the sport in the country.

He denied rumours that the real reason was financial‚ with Athletics SA unwilling or unable to fund a large team.

But the IAAF has stated that the local organising committee (LOC) of the championships will fund all athletes‚ meaning national federations do not have to pay a cent to this cost.

In its official invitation sent to all countries in October 2016 asking them to participate at London 2017‚ the IAAF said: “The LOC will offer financial support to all athletes competing in the IAAF world championships who will benefit from economy class travel and full board accommodation in twin rooms for a maximum of 13 nights during the period of the championships.

“There is no financial support for any team officials,” the organisation said.