World Athletics has taken a firm stance against what it describes as a coordinated government-led recruitment drive, rejecting 11 elite athletes' applications to switch their nationality to Turkey.
The governing body announced the decision, stating the requests were part of a "coordinated recruitment strategy" by Turkey's government "to attract overseas athletes through lucrative contracts." The panel assessed the applications together due to their common features and determined this approach violated the core principles of its transfer regulations.
Among the notable athletes affected are:
- Brigid Kosgei of Kenya, the former women's marathon world record-holder and Tokyo 2020 silver medalist.
- Roje Stona of Jamaica, the reigning Olympic men's discus champion from the 2024 Paris Games.
- Other athletes from Kenya, Jamaica, Nigeria, and Russia.
World Athletics stated that allowing the transfers "would impinge upon and compromise the imperatives underlying the World Athletics eligibility rules and transfer of allegiance regulations." It noted the applications were facilitated "through a wholly-owned and financed government club" with the aim of enabling the athletes to represent Turkey at future competitions, including the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
"Given the common features across the applications, the panel assessed them together and determined that such an approach is inconsistent with the core principles of the regulations," the governing body said in its ruling.
As a result, the athletes remain ineligible to represent Turkey in national or international competitions. The decision highlights ongoing tensions in international sports regarding nationality transfers and state-sponsored athlete recruitment programs. Turkey, which won eight medals but no golds at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has been actively seeking to bolster its athletic roster ahead of the next Olympic cycle.