JOIN USPowell, 100M Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser, 400M Olympic gold medallist Melaine Walker, hurdler Brigitte Foster-Hylton and sprinter Shericka Williams had failed to report for Jamaican national team training in Nuremberg prompting the federation to consider taking them off the team for the World meet starting this week.
“The JAAA (Jamaican Amateur Athletics Association) submitted a letter to the International Association of Athletics Federations asking for the athletes to be relieved from the starting lists," agent Paul Doyle said. "Some discussions happened and the Jamaican federation sent another letter asking that their earlier letter be withdrawn. Removing the athletes was not good for anybody. If the athletes don't get to run everybody loses."
Powell had earlier said the internal dispute was harming the team. "I think that the federation to be fighting your own athletes does not make sense," Powell said.
Powell said the five athletes, who all belong to the Maximising Velocity Power racing club, did not know they had to attend the Nuremberg camp.
"We did not know the camp was mandatory," he said.
"We (and coach Stephen Francis) decided to make a change this year and treat this championship like a normal track meeting. I guess that caused all the problem," he said adding the federation has been at odds with Francis for some time.