Luxolo Adams taking legal action to fight for Olympic spot

Sprinter Luxolo Adams says he is taking Athletics South Africa (ASA) to court after being dropped from the national team for the Olympic Games in Paris next month.

Adams had been included in the team announced by the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) last month, but he was missing from the final team released by World Athletics this week.

Wayde van Niekerk, who qualified in the 200m and 400m, would not run the one-lap event at the Games, focussing on the 200m instead.

While this decision strengthened the SA relay teams for the showpiece, it meant there was no place for Adams in the half-lap event, despite Adams running a faster qualifying time than 400m world record holder Van Niekerk.

‘Incredibly disheartening’

“This decision has been incredibly disheartening, especially considering the journey I have undertaken and the mental and physical challenges I have faced,” Adams said in a statement.

Adams confirmed he had picked up a hamstring injury earlier this year, but he insisted he had recovered and been cleared by his doctor.

However, in his only race this season, he clocked a pedestrian time of 21.50 seconds over 200m (far slower than his personal best of 19.82) in Italy last week.

Not fit enough

He had subsequently been dropped by ASA due to a “perceived lack of readiness”. He was informed of the decision via a WhatsApp message.

“This decision came just three weeks before the Olympic Games and was communicated to me through an informal and distressing method, showing a lack of respect, professionalism, consistency, and lack of consideration for my mental health,” Adams said.

The 27-year-old athlete, who reached the 200m final at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, said he would fight the decision in court,

“I am currently seeking urgent legal intervention to prevent ASA from removing me from the team which I qualified for,” he said, “and for them to be transparent and consistent in their processes and selection criteria.”