Arbitration was held Wednesday regarding Pan Am team selection. The arbitrator’s decision is below.
Although rosters have already been submitted, the USOPC has been in discussion with the APA, and it is possible that the APA will allow the roster to be changed, even at this late date. This is a decision for the whole team, not simply the athletes who filed the grievance.
I feel terrible for any athletes on the team who lose their spot. None of the athletes on either side of this issue have done anything wrong.
The arbitrator’s decision was as follows:
1) USATF shall select the top two (2) athletes in each individual track and field event to represent the United States for competition in the Games using the “rank[ing] order” for results achieved from January 1, 2019 to June 10, 2019. If an athlete does not accept his/her selection, then USATF shall select the next athlete in “rank[ing] order” using the criteria expressed above;
2) if any one or more of the Claimants is to be selected using the criteria set forth in Point 1 for their respective track and field events and meets all of the requirements of Section 1.1 of the Procedures, then he/she shall be selected to represent the United States for competition in the Games;
3) any athlete selected to represent the United States for competition in the Games shall meet the “Minimum Qualifying Standards” as set forth in the Qualification Standards and Attachment A to the Procedures;
4) the USOPC shall make all reasonable efforts to have the athletes selected to represent the United States for competition in the Games in accordance with thisFinal Arbitration Award determined to be eligible to compete in the Games and communicate with the APA in an effort to permit these athletes to compete; and
5) in the event the APA does not allow the athletes selected in accordance with this Final Arbitration Award to compete in the Games and/or the United States will lose one (1) or more opportunities to compete in a specific track and field event as a result of this Final Arbitration Award, the athlete(s) currently selected in the specific track and field event(s) affected is permitted to compete in the Games representing the United States.
