World Athletics Rejects 11 Athletes' Switch to Turkey

World Athletics has rejected the applications of 11 elite track and field athletes seeking to switch their national allegiance to Turkey, thwarting a government-backed recruitment drive aimed at bolstering the country's performance at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The decision, announced by the World Athletics Nationality Review Panel on Thursday, affects four Jamaican athletes, five from Kenya, one Nigerian sprinter and one Russian competitor. Among them is Roje Stona, the Jamaican who won gold in the men's discus throw at the 2024 Paris Olympics. His compatriots include shot putter Rajindra Campbell, triple jumper Jaydon Hibbert and long jumper Wayne Pinnock. The Kenyan group features former women's marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei, along with Catherine Relin Amanangole, Brian Kibor, Ronald Kwemoi and Nelvin Jepkemboi. Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili and Russian athlete Sophia Yakushina round out the list.

The panel determined that the requests formed part of a coordinated strategy by the Turkish government, conducted through a state-funded athletics club. Officials offered the athletes lucrative long-term contracts to attract them and enable representation of Turkey...