Nayoka Clunis loses legal battle over Paris 2024 Olympic exclusion

Jamaica’s leading female hammer thrower, Nayoka Clunis, has lost her appeal against World Athletics' decision to exclude her from the Paris 2024 Olympics after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled it had no jurisdiction to hear her case.

The ruling, issued on February 26 by sole arbitrator Ulrich Haas, leaves Clunis with no further legal recourse.

Clunis was left out of Jamaica’s final roster submitted to World Athletics by the July 4, 2024, deadline. Although she qualified for the Olympics based on her World Ranking, the omission led to her quota place being reassigned to Ukraine’s Iryna Klymets.

Clunis’ legal team, comprising Saverio P. Spera and Jacques Blondin of SP.IN Law, Zurich, argued that the omission resulted from an administrative error exacerbated by Hurricane Beryl, which impacted Jamaica on July 3, 2024. The Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) later sought to correct the oversight but was told all quota spots had been allocated.

After failing to obtain relief through the CAS ad hoc division for the Paris Games, Clunis formally appealed to CAS, naming World Athletics and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as respondents. However, CAS ruled that its jurisdiction did not extend to the matter, citing World Athletics regulations that do not provide a direct appeal avenue for athletes in such cases.

Haas stated that Clunis had no direct arbitration agreement with World Athletics or the IOC. He acknowledged the unfortunate nature of the situation but emphasized that Olympic entry rules must be strictly upheld. CAS also determined that JAAA’s failure to submit Clunis' name on time was an administrative oversight rather than a force majeure event and, therefore, did not warrant an exception.