#Champs2023: Calabar athlete disqualified from 100m after obstruction charge
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Calabar High’s Khamani Gordon has been disqualified from the Class 2 boys’ 100m after he was found to have caused obstruction when he veered out of his lane and collided with Kingston College’s Nicardo Clarke.
Gordon was found to have breached World Athletics’ technical rule 17.2.2 which speaks to obstruction by an athlete or a team.
Clarke, who was expected to medal, was well placed when Gordon veered out of his lane and got his hand tangled up with the Kingston College runner before appearing to shove him, causing him to lose his balance.
WATCH: KC athlete inconsolable after tripping out of medal spot
Clarke finished fifth and was irate after the race, even having to be separated from Gordon who finished eighth.
According to the rule, “if another athlete is found by the referee to be responsible for the jostling or obstruction, such athlete (or their team) shall be liable to disqualification from that event.”
The rule also goes on to say that if the referee is of the opinion that the athlete or team was “seriously affected” the race could be rerun without the disqualified athlete.
Calabar High’s Shaquane Gordon won the gold medal after running 10.40 seconds (1.1m/s), St Elizabeth Technical’s Tramaine Todd was second in 10.42 seconds and Dontae Watson of Jamaica College was third in 10.72 seconds.
-Paul A Reid