Olympic medalists Rojé Stona (discus) and Rajindra Campbell (shot put) have officially transferred their athletic allegiance from Jamaica to Turkey. This high-profile switch, facilitated by an American agent, involves substantial financial packages including reported $500,000 signing bonuses, monthly stipends, and six-figure performance incentives for podium finishes at major championships like the Olympics and World Championships. Consequently, under World Athletics rules, both athletes are now ineligible to represent Jamaica in international competition for the next three years.
This move is a key part of Turkey’s aggressive strategy to enhance its Olympic medal tally through the strategic naturalization of elite international athletes. Turkey has actively recruited talent across various sports, aiming to leverage immediate competitive prowess. Stona, Jamaica’s first Olympic throwing medalist (silver, discus), and Campbell (World bronze, shot put) significantly bolster Turkey’s field event prospects for Paris 2024 and especially Los Angeles 2028.
While Jamaican athletes switching allegiance isn’t new – track stars Jak Ali Harvey (formerly Jacques Harvey) and Emre Zafer Barnes(formerly Winston Barnes) previously competed for Turkey – the scale of the financial offers and simultaneous recruitment of two top throwers mark an escalation.
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The secrecy and timing of this dual transfer, close to the LA 2028 qualifying window, has caused significant concern within Jamaican athletics. Officials fear the precedent sets a dangerous trend where financial power, particularly from nations like Turkey actively seeking to buy talent, could increasingly lure away Jamaica’s hard-developed athletic stars.
MAIN REASONS FOR SWITCHING ALLEGIANCE
This exodus threatens the depth and future success of Jamaican field events specifically, raising questions about athlete retention and the resources available to national federations competing against state-backed incentives.
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