KINGSTON, Jamaica— The organisers of the Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships, the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA), have apologised to Calabar High and Class 1 sprinter Jamal Stephenson after he was prevented from taking part in the Class 1 100m final on Wednesday’s second day of the five-day championships at the National Stadium.

Calabar High had appealed a decision by the track officials to disqualify Stephenson after a lengthy delay, and there was a decision for him to run by himself to decide his place in the final, it was heard.

However, according to a release from the championship’s organisers over the signature of meet director Anthony Davis, following consultation with World Athletics, the race could not go on as the medals had already been handed out.

“According to the World Athletics rule, once medals have been presented for an event, no further action can be taken regarding the results of that event. Specifically, Technical Rule 8.9 states that the medal ceremony marks the conclusion of the event, and any disputes or protests must be resolved prior to this point, as the medal ceremony signifies the official end of the event, and no subsequent changes or appeals are permitted after this ceremony,” said the release.

Further, it said, “Upon reviewing the process, our officials consulted World Athletics for guidance on how to proceed and received the following advice: ‘The time recorded by Stephenson in his semi-final is valid and should be a part of our records.’

“Since this is a points-scoring championship, the athlete should be awarded one point, which is the standard allocation for eighth place in the final,” the release stated.

According to ISSA, “We regret the circumstances leading to this outcome. We apologise to Calabar High School and Jamal Stephenson for the distress or inconvenience caused by this situation.”

-Paul Reid