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Trinidad and Tobago gymnast Thema Williams’ dream of representing her country are now in the hands of her attorneys, after the Trinidad and Tobago Gymnastics Federation (TTGF) removed her as the country’s athlete for the 2016 Rio Olympics Test event with just hours to go.
(Copyright AFP 2016/Andy Buchanan)
The TTGF decision, which was revealed via a press statement, was allegedly taken as a result of the 20-year-old Williams’ supposedly substandard performances in training.
Marisa Dick, the TTGF’s alternative, will fly in to Rio to take her place. TTGF second vice-president Ricardo Lue Shue, who is also a former president of the local body, will also travel to Brazil to act as Dick’s coach.
Williams, who is represented by attorney Keith Scotland and also receives legal advice from Emir Crowne, has until this evening to try to overturn the TTGF’s decision.
Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) president Brian Lewis told Wired868 that he was informed of the TTGF’s decision via an email, which he forwarded to the sporting body’s attorney.
However, he is unsure as to what—if anything—the TTOC can do now. Lewis said the matter appears to be between the TTGF and its global governing body, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). The TTOC will not comment further without legal advice.
Dick placed 14th with a total of 51.25.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
“I have received information but, to be very candid, I am not commenting,” Lewis told Wired868. “I am making no statement until I am properly legally advised. From what I am seeing, it is between the FIG and the TTGF…
“When deemed appropriate by legal counsel, the TTOC will make a statement.”
So far, calls to TTGF president David Marquez and general secretary Elicia Peters Charles have gone unanswered.
The TTGF decision is likely to be seen by many as a late twist in a battle between Williams and the board, which arguably started on the day that she qualified for the Olympics Test Event.
Williams and Dick both participated at last year’s Glasgow World Artistic Gymnastics (WAG) Championships and, according to their pre-tournament contracts, the better gymnast at the event would go to Rio.
Williams placed 59th overall—a record for a Trinidad and Tobago gymnast—while Dick placed 77th out of 192 participants.
(Courtesy Thema Williams)
But Williams’ triumph was quickly soured as the TTGF inexplicably failed to announce her as their Olympic athlete. In the end, it took an intervention from the TTOC before the gymnastics body vouched for the former Tots and Tumblers athlete and St Joseph’s Convent (Port of Spain) student.
However, there was a caveat as the local gymnastics body gave Williams and Dick pre-Olympic contracts, which introduced a good behaviour clause and suggested that the former could be replaced for poor performance leading up the competition.
The TTGF tried to use the behavioural clause first, as a topless photo of Williams was released by a mysterious “Kamara Heinz” on February 23 and the local body promptly sent her to the disciplinary committee for action.
Scotland subsequently said his investigations suggestions that Kamara Heinz did not exist.
“As part of our due diligence, your first port of call must be to identify your complainant, because what triggered all of this was an email from this concerned parent,” said Scotland. “We checked with every single (gymnastics) club in Trinidad and Tobago and there was no ‘Georgette Heinz’. We then looked at the white pages. There was no one…
Lue Shue will act as Marisa Dick’s coach in Brazil.
(Courtesy SPORTT)
“We checked the electoral list and the EBC database. (And still nothing).
“We checked the email address. And what we do know (is the email address) was assigned to someone in Arizona.
“When we reached Arizona, we stopped there. We didn’t want to go any further lest we ended up in Calgary…”
Williams’ coach, John Geddert, was incredulous: “In today’s world of national team athletes posing full nudity in major publications, was this photo of an exposed shoulder seriously considered “pornography?”
If the photograph was an attempt to snatch Williams’ Olympics Test berth, it backfired as another anonymous poster fired back by leaking a topless shot of Dick.
Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) political leader and trade unionist, David Abdulah, who the TTGF brought in to serve as a mediator, hinted that Williams had been improperly sent to the disciplinary committee in the first place.
(Copyright Gary Jordan)
“There was just one disciplinary meeting (with the TTGF) and the recommendation was made to refer the matter back to the council,” Abdulah told Wired868. “I have not heard anything since, so it is really for the council to say what they were doing.”
On 15 March 2016, just one day before the deadline to name an athlete for the Rio event, the TTGF finally endorsed Williams.
“Trinidad and Tobago Gymnastics Federation has officially confirmed Ms Thema Williams (as per the press release of November 2015),” stated the TTGF release, “the FIG Elite Gymnast to participate and represent Trinidad and Tobago at the Aquece Final Gymnastics Qualifier which takes place 13 to 18 April 2016.”
However, the TTGF still insisted that it had the option to remove Williams if there was an issue regarding her fitness.
“In accordance with the athlete agreement, both gymnasts must submit a medical report/clearance to compete, in the weeks leading up to the Test Event—to ensure their continued fitness,” stated the TTGF, on March 15. “In his 2016 January to March monthly reports, Williams’ coach John Geddert advised the Federation that the young gymnast has not yet been able to train landings because of a knee injury.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
This situation will be monitored closely to ensure that Thema will be competition ready for her Test Event.
“The TTGF congratulates Thema Williams and wishes her continued success.”
Williams landed in Brazil earlier this week looking forward to fulfilling her dream of wearing red, black and white at the Olympic Games.
Yesterday, Williams made one post on her Twitter page: “Who Jah bless, no man curse.”
And, on a black backdrop, the words “Jah put me here” were printed in bold white letters.
God giveth. But, for reasons that remain unclear, the Trinidad and Tobago Gymnastics Federation took it away.
(Courtesy SPORTT)
The Trinidad and Tobago Gymnastics Federation comprises of president David Marquez, general secretary Elicia Peters-Charles, first vice president Akil Wattley, second vice president, Ricardo Lue Shue—who was president of the body from 2008 to 2015 and will serve as Dick’s coach in Brazil—treasurer Susanne Babooram and Lue Shue’s wife, Donna Lue Shue, who serves as assistant treasurer.
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Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.
Something isn’t right. They moving like the Miss World pageant committee. We say we will send you but we really prefer this one.
Might I suggest we lit their fb page up? I already left a comment there
Share the link please!
https://youtu.be/OwZciH3hx-A
Once you black…..
Attorney’s docs now public!
I hope the replacement was legitimate and done with proper protocol. I would be pissed if Thema’s coach and Thema were not involved in the decision process.
They are sending the person they were always planning to send.
They are sending the person they were always planning to send.
WDA!!! Bad breed, bad mine moves.
#unsurprisef
Well orchestrated plot from day 1
Can’t believe this madness wow!! TTGF wow!!
This is a joke right? This is satire. I did not read the article.
Definitely taken a toll on her …. the TTGF really f***ed this situation up …. pigs!!
Even if she is allowed to this whole debacle must have taken a toll on her mentally
Well we wait to see
TV6 News and a Brazilian doctor say differently and it is reported Thema’s lawyer is at this time still advocating on her behalf …. waaaii
Cheryl that’s a poor statement to make to wish Dick not to medal because of Thema’s issue with the organisation. Ridiculous … remember who your argument is with
I feel no remorse …
I don’t care …
Well I personally would like Dick to represent us to the best of her ability. Let’s face it this was not about a medal as neither Dick nor Thema are at the top of the world rankings. It’s about competing on the world’s biggest stage.
by default??? shameless !!
Well from the video posted Thema wasn’t going to the Olympics either with that performance
I am sure true true Trinbagonians prefer that we are not represented than have this person represent us
Once she’s eligible to represent the country she’s fine by me. I have more valuable things in my life to get emotionally vested in than them 2
Cheryl Melissa i’m sure has worked just as hard for it as Thema did and if you say that then TNT should have never had Birchall shoot that goal that got them to Germany… or is that ok?
equally immoral ….
well at least you are consistent… poorly so, but that is your right…
I take it you boycotted the Soca Warriors back then?
winning by any means necessary is immoral representation by default is cheating but that is the new morality I am from a time when patriotism and nationality meant more than wearing a country’s colours and claiming nationality by boat/relationship than by birth
Sigh
she is a Trini by law and I’m certain that the law makers did not have poor Sports federations on their mind when they made that law, so as far as i concern that does not make choosing her “any means” and BTW the olympic Charter has a entire Chapter on dual citizens and how to treat with them… so it remains fair.. if a country gives Athletes citizenship because they want them on their roster that is immoral… i agree, but that did not happen here…. in the federation i’m involved i can give you about 10 different cases … all them very different too: some have represented Trinidad others not and the next may or may not, each one is unique all of them are Trinis by birth ….
aside of that as a citizen she then also has some legal rights….. concerning her selection….
Andreas Stueven so my mom had commonwealth citizenship but I am born Trinidadian so what does that make me commonwealth citizen as well?
well, first never heard of commonwealth citizenship, but i dare to say it no longer exist. I cary a german passport so under your definition i probably a traitor in both countries, but to answer your question with a case i know, while my sons are born here in Trinidad, because i live here for the last 20 Years, because they are sons to a german they are also Germans with all rights that come with it, in fact those rights extend to their Trini mother until they are 18…. so if there is still such a thing as commonwealth citizenship, depending on their laws i guess oyuu may be able too apply for a passport,,, my sons carry two… a german and a trini, dont make them any less in either country….
Know EU law and citizenship have a QLD …. But EU values are different
well, i’d say clearly not. aside German citizenship law is NOT EU law, as France for example has other rules…
according to ecj
as i said other EU countries are different…. as EU Citizen i can travel to all and live and work there…. so can my children… who can become a German is being decided in Germany, not Brussles…
her coach has no reason to lie about the reason she fell 6 times other than to protect her and her interest… so truth is probably she fell 10 times and at some point he will have to tell cause tomorrow it would have been on everyone TV screen and then TTGF rightfully would ask him why he made no mention of it…
It still is immoral…. Trinidad and Tobago should have no representative rather than this furor and you know what is nice and poetic Dick will not medal …. Just using T&T to further own personal ambitions
The bad part for the TTGF is that after all that crap no one will believe them especially when Thema will continue to insist that she could have done it…. i knew of the injury a few months back, but clearly she did not recover from it as hoped…
Well the video from February clearly shows she’s injured
You got to be kidding me!
Yep. She can barely land on her right foot
And that video was posted early February…
Wait I thought it was more recent than that. It looks like she tried really hard but her body wouldn’t cooperate. So heartbreaking for her.
The youtube link says ‘uploaded February 8th’
Wow looking at this it seems she is in real pain.
If she was still performing this badly I understand replacing her http://youtu.be/nCf6_8Fldn0
The video does not tell lies, embellish, lack credibility, etc etc etc
Nicole Ulerie Exactly. That’s why you can use it to judge for yourself
hmmmm
The real issue here is the TTGF’s credibility……..they have none!
hahaha yes that is a serious problem for them and i’m sure they have mainly discussed last night how they gonna make people believe this….
truth be told i only believe what i read in the coaches email and based on that mail i’d done the same thing….
Well I doubt the coach holding any brief for them sooooooo…….
Andreas
They sure doing a lousy job of convincing people though
he has been fighting for her… and the fact that he admits that he suggested a pull out since last week but clearly did not indicate that to TTGF until yestaerday is not good for him ….
Mel Lissa true that and this aint making their job easier… i glad that not my NF… and as long as i can help it ours aint ending up in this mess…
I’m really sorry for her if she’s really injured. It’s been a long hard road for her
Yes very sad and i have seen it: by the time they cant hide the pain anymore a lot of damage has been done to the body already… very sad and i’m very concerned for her and her health she wanted this really bad….
Im the VP on endurance sport NF, and as Race Director i have already threatened people that were totally exhausted but did not want to retire, that i will disqualify them from the Race and as RD i have the right to do so for medical reasons.
But then again. Some people will let only see what they watch to see eh. Very unfortunate if she was indeed concealing the fact that she’s injured though
because he send the mail yesterday… they met last night and there is a lil delay until it hits FB
something smelling FIFAish if those events were true why will she need a lawyer and how come it is only now after the fact and people’s reacton that these facts are being released … FIFA FIFA
Cheryl see my replies to Nicole but as far as i can see: at the time, she can no longer suppress the pain she should long already have stepped back… but what would you be willing to sacrifice and fight for to make it to the olympics?
You might even try the legal route; whether you have grounds or not
Andreas Stueven really … If her injury is a fact how come she had to have a lawyer involved and you reasoned all kinds of lettered impossibilities before this …. Is best T&T is not represented at the Olympic than Marisa and her cohorts ride Thema’s back..
CherylGibson she retained the lawyer from the original fiasco. And I dunno her, never met her, she never live in mih house. So I ain’t gonna be so brave and she she won’t retain him again with no grounds. But you feel free to go brave
Actually re-reading the article it says nowhere that council is currently pursuing this… he is being quoted about the email incident… it says nowhere that he is onto this…
Well. Somebody asked for the coach’s words unfiltered. Let the chips fall where they may
i doh even want to chek meh blood pressure!! smh
And why would Thema need a lawyer for an injury? LOL
I was just about to ask that
Well Vernan that changes a lot…. and i agree this requires a doctor more than a laywer…
WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?
Dey shady boi….SMH
Just. Wrong
How come we didn’t hear about this injury before?
Taht would be because Thema knows she’d be replaced and rightfully so…
at the time, she can no longer suppres the pain she should long already have stepped back…
But she retained a lawyer even though she’s injured?
if you had the chance to be a athlete at the Olympics….
??? How far would you be willing to go? broke, pain,?
wheelchair?
Andreas Stueven Stretcher
Erline it was a rethorical question: what sacrifice are you willing to make for your dream? will that include possibly sitting in a wheelchair and i would think an accident in gymnastics can get you into one…
I understood your intention. I was backing you up. One would be willing to go beyond wheelchair
lol misunderstood you there then…
(THE FOLLOWING IS THE MEDIA RELEASE BY THE TTGF BASED ON THE EMAIL ALSO SHOWN HERE BY THEMA WILLIAMS’ COACH.)
Dear Members of the Media:
Early this morning, The Trinidad & Tobago Gymnastics Federation made an emergency decision to pull Ms Thema Williams from the test event in Rio due to an injury. Williams will be replaced by alternate Marisa Dick, effectively immediately.
According to Coach John Gedderd , “Thema has been nursing an injured ankle and has limited all pounding and landings for over the past week. He went on to state that unfortunately she fell 6 times out of three events on podium training and has since showed no signs of recovery. We are sincerely concerned for her health and cannot risk further injury.
Dick, the alternate, is making her way to Rio to represent Trinidad and Tobago.
“We have confidence that Marisa will represent Trinidad and Tobago well on the international stage. While we are saddened, we wish Thema a speedy recovery and Marisa will do her best on such short notice,” said the TTGF president David Marquez.
Dick along with Williams, both represented Trinidad and Tobago at the World Championship in Scotland and both girls acquired the score to the Test Event.
We wish Thema a speedy recovery and best of luck to Marisa!
Warm Regards,
Donna Lue Shue
TTGF
749-8053
——————————————————————————–
From: John Geddert, Carynn C
Date: April 15, 2016 at 7:24:59 PM AST
To: Frances Dow
Subject: Re: Hi John
Please pass on to whoever is interested. I thought Nicole was delivering the updates but these are posts from my Facebook page.
Day one of the Test event in Rio almost complete (a Padron family reserve on Baja beach will cap it off). First impression…. There is a heap load of “we will not be ready in time” around here. Infrastructure (roads) is the main concern but it seems venues are incomplete also … 3 months out! But it is 85! Rumors are that Brazil looks incredible and is sure to advance. Romania will have to get by on guts and tradition (and let’s hope they do)… More later as I am being distracted by a quarter moon over the ocean
Day 2 complete: training went well today with Thema doing some good work on beam and bars. Her foot seems to be a bit tender so we are limiting the pounding. Podium tomorrow (basically the dress rehearsal for the big show Sunday). Numbers indicate that most athletes should advance (but it ain’t over til it’s over. But then again what is “most”. I’d rather not be a part of the ” al-most ” group. Right now all sights are on doing whatever it takes to advance.
Saw Germany and Korea today and both were doing good stuff. Korea was a bit inconsistent but who knows what that means. US men are well represented with John Orozco and Jake Dalton (ladies sigh).
Got a glimpse of the incomplete gym arena (isn’t the purpose of a test event to do a dry run at the official venue?). Someone joked that they forgot to put doors in that are big enough to get the mats through… Had to be joking right ?
As bad as the traffic is (45 minutes to one hour to go 5km) the smog is worse. There is a constant haze covering what I know to be gorgeous mountains in the distance.
Day 3 note so Rosie! Thema forgot to inform me h
That she was headed to the bus… I waited for her at the hotel… Search until I missed the last possible bus and then grabbed a cab …. Worried about where she could be. She didn’t answer texts, calls or Facebook. Ugh! But we move on.
Podium was a disaster with 6 falls on 3 events. She has been dealing with a sore ankle to the point that I asked her to withdraw last week. She assured me she can do this. We have been limiting all pounding and landings yet today she showed little signs of being able to perform well. We will rest tomorrow and rely on heart .
I will be constantly checking with my sources as to whether or not there are any scratches because at last report 1-2 athletes may not advance.
Goodly a Bree report tomorrow
Interesting
Very
Is it me or did the TTGF engage in some serious embellishment here.
Just disgusting. I hope she goes on to represent another country and gets gold because we sure don’t known how to appreciate our talent and treat them with respect . Field athletes cricketers gymnast…..
Didn’t the Minister of Sports also give money for Thema this week?
I am searching for that photo of Mr Smith and Ms telfen (not sure her name ) and I can’t find it .
They did, hang on
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=983986505055132&substory_index=0&id=791793870941064&hc_location=ufi
Thanks
Thanks. So what happens now?
Did you read the latest update on the story ? Seems like the pressures are getting to them. :/
Yeah… He eh kill nobody. #Disgusting
Never ever felt the matter was settled. Praying for Thema and hoping she and her family get some sort of justice out of this.. Is their a single sports association that has their act together in the entire country? Maybe Hockey or Netball? Wow!
Try Athletics
Hope springs eternal
nah Kirwin :/
Lord, well all over maybe then. Time to get old fogies out and breed young, educated blood.
How convenient ?
teh order of sporting decisions works as follows: if a athlete has a apeal to a referee: apeal to competiton Jury, denied, apeal to NF, denied, apeal to IF, denied, Apeal to CAS, suposedly final… but not necessarily anymore…
Something smelling like FIFA here!
Well FIFA would be considered the IF for Football, however they are emebedded diffrerently into IOC due to the Power of the WC…
Andreas Stueven I not so bright my alphabet is real bad so words certainly will make more sense to me…. If something is rotten it is rotten and this entire fiasco is rotten….. So if the country says we do not want her to represent us what then
Sorry IF is international Federation … the thing is a sports federation has to make rules to decide who is the best athlete. in some it is easy to do cause it is the first at the finish line. in others it is more complicated because taste and perception may flaw a fair result… it the case of Thema: the TTGF has laid out rules as early as beginning of last year and seems now hell bend to change those rules because the “wrong” person won… this is not a case of what the country wants, this is about the best athlete has to represent the country choosen by the rules that the responsible body has outlined…
If it was not clear before its clear now ,somebody or bodies have an agenda. I hope that they are not allowed to get away with it.
Ok
And IF is the International Federation, that would be the body upholding rules for a specific sport, especially if it is a olympic sport, contrary to what people may believe, but neither TTOC or IOC has significant influence on the sporting decissions of a NF, the IF has a lot though, they can actually over rule before it goes to CAS..
a German court has over ruled one of its rulings lately claiming bias towards sports bodies as they mainly influence it constitution… Lasana maybe you want to repost that link of yours…
Total bias but best of luck to the ladies in future endeavours.
Cas is the court of abitration in Sports it is seated in Lausanne Switzerland…
Court of Arbitration for Sport