Scandal in the Solomon Islands delegation. Rather than selecting the national 100m champion, the country has designated a marathon runner to take part in the Olympic qualifiers for the main event this Friday.
Sharon Firisua, 30, 72nd in the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics in 2023, also national champion in the 1,500m, has never run the 100m in a high-level competition, but she will be at the start of the series in the Stade de France.
Athletics Federation ‘was not consulted’
The Pacific nation’s athletics federation had recommended two female sprinters be selected for the 2024 Paris Olympics but the National Olympic Committee nominated Firisua, who also failed to meet the minimum requirements for the 2024 Olympic marathon.
“That’s all we know about the selection,” explained Michael Kuali, president of the local athletics federation. “We were never consulted for the selection process, they are the ones responsible for presenting the athletes to the Olympic Games. But we were never invited or consulted.”
Full Universality Places for women’s 100m in Paris 👇
🇬🇳 Safiatou Acquaviva
Hello Bouha Ahamdy
🇹🇬 Naomi Akakpo
🇶🇦 Shahd Ashraf
🇳🇪 Samira Awali Boubacar
🇵🇬 Leonie Beu
🇳🇮 Maria Carmona
🇬🇹 Mariandree Chacon
🇻🇺 Chloe David
🇸🇧 Sharon Firisua
🇵🇼 Sydney Francisco👇
— World Athletics Hub (@wldathleticshub) July 13, 2024
According to ABC News, the decision could be a “farewell gift” for Sharon Firisua, who is expected to retire after the competition. The decision came as a “shock,” Solomon Islands Athletics Federation president Michael Kuali told Australian broadcaster ABC. “We are sprinters. I don’t know what happened, it’s unbelievable,” said Jovita Arunia, 22, the Solomon Islands’ 100m and 200m champion, who had dreamed of running in Paris and threatened to quit athletics after the decision.
