Discus thrower Quincy Wilson testifies at trial v NAAA : I felt abandoned

NATIONAL discus-thrower Quincy Wilson said he felt “abandoned” by the administrators of the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAATT) after he was injured at one of its competitions in 2019.

On July 28, Wilson competed in the National Open Senior Championships’ men’s discus throw, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, in Port of Spain. He won with a throw of 52.82 metres, which he achieved on his first throw, but slipped on the discus circle and fell on his fifth throw.

He has accused the NAAATT of negligence, and of using the “wrong substance” to cover the discus circle, causing it to be slippery. He also alleges the association’s employees failed to properly inspect the circle before allowing athletics to use it.

Wilson’s virtual trial against the NAAA began on Tuesday before Justice Nadia Kangaloo. The judge has reserved her ruling and has set deadlines for the filing of written submissions by both sides. She will give a date for her decision upon receipt of the submissions, she said at the more than six-hour long trial.

In his evidence, Wilson said he felt because of all the things he did for TT as an athlete and the relationship he thought he had with the NAAA, the association would have cared about his well-being and showed him a level of respect and interest “to make sure everything was ok.”

“But, clearly they didn’t,” he said, adding that he was not aware of the association making itself available for his rehabilitation.

“I felt abandoned,” he said close to tears. He is represented by attorneys Matthew Gayle and Jason Jones.

Wilson’s claims says he suffered from loss and damage including: shock and severe pain, a meniscal tear on right knee, pain in both knees, psychological damage, mental damage, distress and loss amenity.

An eight-time national senior champion, Wilson has represented TT both locally and internationally and holds the national discus record of 59.65m. He said he has been unable to train and had to take sick leave from his job at the Port of Spain City Corporation and cannot apply for elite funding because of his injury.

Questioned by the NAAA’s lead attorney Tyrone Marcus, Wilson, 28, said it was raining on the morning of July 28, and while he has competed in rain before, he has never fallen before in competition.

Wilson said it appeared the discus circle was painted on. He threw as competitor number six, and although five competitors went before him, and none of them fell, he did.

“No one fell, but they slipped. I didn’t throw on the sixth round. I don’t know if any of the others did. I was in pain,” he said.

Testifying earlier, on Wilson’s behalf, was Paralympic gold medallist Akeem Stewart who testified virtually from Tobago.

He said he went to the stadium the day before the competition to practise and it was raining. Stewart, a discus-thrower, shot putter and javelin thrower, said on the day of competition, the circle was wet as it was raining. “I made up my mind that I was not going to take part if it did not dry out,” Stewart said. He also said he did not need to throw at the event to qualify for the 2019 Parapan American Games.

Stewart said he saw several competitors slip and fall while warming up on the circle, and he asked his friend Clarence Hannibal, for his jogging sneakers for greater traction. He also said he noticed paint on the concrete circle and when asked to compare the surface with those at international competitions, “The surface we have here is very different to what is out there...It supposed to have a sandpaper finish while the Hasley Crawford had a concrete finish close to tiles.”

Stewart said when it rained at international competitions, organisers would wipe the circle after each round but it was not done as often at the national championships during the event Wilson was injured at.

“For some reason with the discus they were not doing it every round,” he said, admitting that he did not complain because he had no intention of competing at the event.

Testifying for the NAAA, second vice-president Allan Baboolal admitted there were complaints after the Carifta trials – sometime in April/May 2019 – from athletes and coaches that the discus circle was too smooth.

“It was only then we knew there was an issue with the circle.”

He said he spoke to Keith Jerry – a member of the technical team responsible for carrying out repair work for competitions – and told him what the complaints were. He said they discussed re-paving the circle but it was not pursued since doing so would be inconsistent with International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) standards, and instead Jerry used a substance called eco-grip on the discus circle surface.

Baboolal denied opting for a short-cut.

He said they advised against Jerry’s advice that the circle be excavated and re-laid since the stadium did not belong to the NAAA.

“The NAAA cannot interfere with a facility that doesn’t belong to us.”

Baboolal also denied that he was reckless and a substance was used on the circle which was not in compliance with IAAF guidelines. “I did not know about the product. We relied on Mr Jerry’s guidance,” he said. Jerry, who testified after, said he knew about a problem with the circle two years before the 2019 national championships. He said it was collecting water causing it to be too slippery. He had to use a strainer to rectify the issue.

He said in 2019, the circle needed work because of its “smoothness.” He said Baboolal told him that the circle needed work because it was too smooth.

Jerry defended his use of the eco-grip substance on the circle. “Given the short period of time, it was the best choice.” He, too, denied it was a short-cut or quick fix, since, he said, it was still the same “up to today and the surface is in perfect condition.”

“To get away from the slipperiness, this was a perfect choice which I would recommend at any time to do.”

Jerry, however, admitted a better long-term fix would be to excavate and re-lay the circle.

He was questioned extensively by Gayle about the use of the primer, which, the lawyer pointed out, was not designed to be exposed to the elements of nature.

“You cut corners,” Gayle suggested. “I wouldn’t say I did. I tried to make it useable as best as possible as it would have taken a week to excavate the circle and relay it.”

He also suggested the substance used would have complied with IAAF’s standards, but could not point directly where in the world body’s guidelines it was approved.

“…This was the only thing that could be done in the shortest possible time.”

NAAA’s technical manager Reynold Porter Lee admitted to hearing female discus athletes, who competed before the men’s event, slipped and fell on the day of competition.

He also denied the association employed a quick-fix, or shortcut, making the surface unsafe for athletes.

NAAA’s general secretary Dexter Voison said he did not inspect the discus circle because he was not part of the technical team.

Wilson, who still managed to win the event with a previous score, only discovered the injury when he went for random drug testing after the event.

He has contended in his lawsuit that in addition to severe physical pain, he has suffered extreme mental anguish from the injury and is distraught at the prospect of not being able to train or compete in national, regional or international games.

He no longer works at the city corporation and currently operates a poultry depot.

Wilson is seeking compensation for his loss of income and for private rehabilitative treatment, which he requires to fully recover and is also seeking compensation for his loss of opportunity to compete professionally and obtain sponsorship opportunities.

Also representing the NAAA is attorney Renuka Ramdass.