If only the selectors had picked Rowan…
Australian Olympic equestrian athlete Jamie Kermond provisionally suspended after for testing positive for cocaine
Posted 16m ago16 minutes ago, updated 9m ago9 minutes ago
Australian show jumper Jamie Kermond has been provisionally suspended from competition for testing positive for cocaine.
Kermond, 36, had been named on the Australian equestrian team and was due to make his first Olympics appearance at Tokyo.
Equestrian Australia released a statement saying Kermond had returned a positive A-sample for a metabolite of cocaine following a test conducted by Sport Integrity Australia on June 26th.
The Australian Olympic Team Selection Committee will consider the matter later today.
Previously…
The country’s top showjumpers were overlooked for the Olympic team
OUSTED: Armidale’s Rowan Willis was overlooked for the Australian Olympic team despite being the highest ranked athlete. Photo: Cara Grimshaw.
Australia’s highest ranked rider, Rowan Willis, has been overlooked for a starting spot in the Olympic showjumping team.
Instead Jamie Kermond, ranked as 1150th on the world scale, will take his place at Tokyo later this month.
Australia’s second highest ranked athlete, Scott Keach, has also been knocked out of the team.
He will be replaced by Katie Laurie ranked 469th.
They will be joined by Edwina Tops-Alexander.
Willis, who is ranked 59th and was named as the team’s reserve, queried the decision of selectors in an email to Equestrian Australia executives.
“I met all the nomination criteria, threshold criteria, the additional provisions related to the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to 2021 and the confirmation result criteria,” he said.
"In these three years I have had the best results of any other Australian rider by far.
"I, along with Blue Movie, have been one of the most successful partnerships in the world winning roughly [$2 million].
“My partnership with my horse Blue Movie has been one of the best and most consistent in the world over the last four years and I am sure many people worldwide would consider we have the ability to achieve an individual medal and contribute towards Australia achieving a team medal.”
Under Equestrian Australia rules, two officials select the team.
Criteria to be on the team includes being an Australian citizen, association member and satisfies the Australian Olympic Committee.
It is unlikely selectors will overturn their decision.
Egg, face.
Selling their Olympic horses after the Games is nothing new, I can remember as far back as the 1960s that was being done because it was too expensive to ship them back home. That’s a tough choice that every Australian owner has to make. Maybe they should base themselves in the UK like the eventers do so that they are closer to top competitions.