World Championship Silver medallist Wayne Pinnock one of four Jamaicans whose application for Turkish citizenship was rejected

The application by four Jamaican field event athletes to switch allegiance to Turkey has been rejected by the the global governing body of track and field – World Athletics. 

2024 Olympic Men’s Discus champion Roje Stona, shot putter Rajindra Campbell, triple jumper Jaydon Hibbert and long jumper Wayne Pinnock applied for Turkish citizenship based on lucrative finical offers they had received. 

However, the World Athletics Nationality review panel has struck down those applications. 

It found the requests were part of a co-ordinated recruitment effort by the Turkish government, operating through a state-funded club, offering lucrative contracts to attract foreign athletes and enable them to compete for Turkey at major events, including the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Given the common features across the applications, the panel reviewed them collectively and concluded the approach conflicted with the sport’s core principles. 

World Athletics’ transfer of allegiance regulations govern the conditions under which an athlete may represent a member federation in international competition. while citizenship is a starting point, additional criteria are applied to ensure a genuine connection between the athlete and the country they represent and to protect the integrity, credibility and development of the sport globally.

The nationality review panel is responsible for determining applications relating to athlete eligibility and transfers of allegiance, in accordance with these regulations.

The Jamaican athletes were reported to have completed the documentation to become Turkish Citizens, lured by lucrative financial gains in 2025.

The move was widely viewed as a significant blow to Jamaica’s Athletics programme, particularly as they are the faces of the improving field event programme.