Cape Town — South African sprinter, Luxolo Adams, is seeking legal action against Athletics South Africa (ASA) after he was removed from the Olympic team under dubious circumstances.
Adams was one of the first names on the Olympic team sheet and was scheduled to run the 200m, his specialist event. He obtained the Olympic qualifying time last year but has struggled with injuries since, and questions were raised over his fitness ahead of the Games after he ran a slow 21.50 in his comeback race last week in Italy, BusinessLIVE reported.
Against this backdrop, ASA decided to remove Adams from the team and give his position in the 200m to Wayde Van Niekerk. Van Niekerk had made the team to compete in the individual 400m and 4x400m relay events but was later switched to the 200m and this decision was confirmed when World Athletics published South Africa’s final list of athletes.
Adams was understandably devastated by the decision and said he had worked hard to overcome his injury struggles and was ready to compete at the Olympics.
“This decision has been incredibly disheartening, especially considering the journey I have undertaken and the mental and physical challenges I have faced,” Adams said in a statement.
See below the statement from Luxolo Adams 🇿🇦 after being withdrawn from the Men’s 200m at the Paris Olympics in which he blames boardroom politics.
400m world record holder Wayde van Niekerk will contest the 200m instead of Adams. pic.twitter.com/rth3iqfJZJ
— World Athletics Hub (@wldathleticshub) July 12, 2024
He said he had worked hard to address the hamstring issue that he suffered last year and had kept ASA up-to-date on his rehabilitation process, but after the run in Italy, he said ASA withdrew him from the team over a “perceived lack of readiness.”
“This decision came just three weeks before the Olympic Games and was communicated to me through an informal and distressing method, showing a lack of respect, professionalism, consistency, and lack of consideration for my mental health,” Adams said.
He was disappointed in the way ASA has treated him, with no consideration for his mental health, and wants to set a precedent for all athletes who are treated unfairly by ASA.
“I am currently seeking urgent legal intervention to prevent ASA from removing me from the team which I qualified for, and for them to be transparent and consistent in their processes and selection criteria,” he concluded.
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Picture: X/@WorldAthletics
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
