Gymnast widens scope Olympic legal action
Thema goes after TTOC
T&T GuardianMay will mark a year since Thema Williams formally opened a lawsuit against the Trinidad and Tobago Gymnastics Federation over its decision to pull her from the 2016 Olympic Games, and yesterday she took another step in what seems likely a long court battle.
A day after winning a preliminary case to have the lawsuit heard in the High Court, Williams and her legal team yesterday turned their attention to the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee.
Senior Counsel Martin Daly presented nine questions which, if answered, his team feels can provide clarity on how the drama unfolded prior to the Rio Olympic Games.
His first question was the key question: “What investigations did they (TTOC) conduct into the Gymnastics Federation’s withdrawal of Thema from the Rio Test Event and from the Rio Olympics before they decided to ratify an athlete to replace Thema?”
He then followed up questioning the basis of what information was received and from whom did the TTOC make their decision to ratify?
The announcement of the latest action was made during a press conference at the offices of Keith Scotland in Port-of-Spain.
For most of the press conference, Williams sat silent in the middle of Daly and Scotland.
In Justice Frank Seepersad’s favourable ruling the day before, he outlined that “there is a very evident public interest concern in this matter and the selection process for representation at the Olympics.”
Daly used this as ammunition in his opening statements, calling on the TTOC to answer questions “particularly as documents have now been disclosed that demonstrate that the TTOC was in regular touch with the Gymnastics Federation.”
Williams had openly stated that the Olympic Committee never contacted her for a statement after she was pulled from the Rio Olympic Games and replaced by Marisa Dick. Her legal team is questioning the decision to replace her and if it was done on a one-sided basis.
The TTOC has argued that their meeting on May 30th, 2016 “considered all issues”. Guardian Media Sports wrote to the body’s president, Brian Lewis, who is currently in Uruguay, seeking answers to these questions, but had no response up until press time.
Daly’s argument for both his client and the country is that answers to these questions can provide a clearer understanding into T&T’s historical but controversial gymnastics entry into the Olympic Games.
THEMA WINS 1ST ROUND
High Court appropriate forum for matter to be dealt with
By Rickie RamdassNATIONAL gymnast Thema Williams has won round one of her multi-million dollar lawsuit against the Trinidad and Tobago Gymnastics Federation (TTGF) which was filed after she was pulled from competing in last year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Williams emerged victorious on a preliminary point at the Hall of Justice in Port of Spain yesterday, when High Court Judge Frank Seepersad ruled against the TTGF on an issue it had previously raised. It had argued that the High Court was not the proper forum for the matter to be heard and that it should instead be resolved by way of dispute resolution.
The TTGF was seeking to have the court rule that the issue should be ventilated by way of closed-door dispute resolution proceedings which would have resulted in the outcome of such proceedings be strictly confidential.
Williams is seeking $11.38 million in compensation from the TTGF for its alleged “harsh and oppressive” actions against her which, she said, shattered her dreams of qualifying for the Olympic Games held last August. She was replaced by alternate athlete Marisa Dick who instead participated in the event.
T&T GYMNAST: Thema Williams