The stage was set for Jamaica with an all-star team set to take part in the 2026 World Relays. The presence of both Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville had fans hoping for another gold. The last time they featured together in a relay at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, it ended in a DNF. But this time, just when hopes were rising for redemption, both men ended up withdrawing, with reports pointing to a dispute with the JAAA over money. Now, the Jamaican body is hitting back.

Over the past few days, reports indicated that Seville had withdrawn as the Jamaican Athletics Association (JAAA) had refused to pay the full cost of his tickets. The JAAA has since disputed those claims and instead released a statement detailing what actually happened.

“We have seen comments from sections of the media stating that, arising from a dispute between the JAAA and Oblique Seville regarding the price of his ticket, it has resulted in the athlete having to withdraw from Jamaica’s team to the World Relays in Gaborone, Botswana,” reads the statement.

“This is factually inaccurate. These are the facts:

“There was never an impasse between agents acting on behalf of Oblique Seville and the JAAA regarding payment for travel tickets. There was an issue regarding the earliest date that he could return to Miami in order to meet a contractual obligation.”

The statement further read, “His agent was advised that the earliest possible date on available flights, that would allow him to return to Miami, was on May 5, 2026, after midday. We therefore could not guarantee an earlier return.”

That eventually led to Oblique Seville withdrawing from the competition, resulting in a major blow to Jamaican hopes. Meanwhile, Kishane Thompson has also withdrawn because of an injury.

Seville’s withdrawal hurts as the 25-year-old is the reigning 100m world champion, having won gold at the 2025 World Championships. Not only that, he has been a key part of their 4x100m relay team alongside Kishane Thompson. The two even combined to win the 2025 London Athletics Meet, but then faced problems at the World Championships.

Both Thompson and Seville were part of the team that failed to medal after dropping the baton in the heats. They were on track to finish and make the cut for the next round when tragedy struck. Instead, Ryiem Forde failed to properly pass the baton to Thompson, and he dropped it.

However, this time, the JAAA had picked a strong team with hopes of chasing automatic qualification for the 2027 World Athletics Championships. But after this setback, the JAAA has yet to announce replacements. They do have the likes of Ackeem Blake, Rohan Watson, and other 100m stars in the relay pool.

But while the focus shifts to who replaces them, Seville’s camp has been keen to clear the air on why he withdrew in the first place.

Norman Peart dismissed suggestions of a fallout with JAAA

Questions arose whether the JAAA would end up sidelining Oblique Seville after his withdrawal. However, the statement from the JAAA confirmed that the athletics organization did its best to give Seville a chance to participate. And now reports indicate that Tajh-Marques White and Roshawn Clarke have since withdrawn from the team, indicating that it’s not an isolated problem. 

It does mark an issue for the JAAA and their hopes of medaling at the World Relays. Yet, the likes of Kadarian Goldson, Odaine McPherson, and company will have a chance to shine now.

What is clear, however, is that the JAAA left no stone unturned in trying to get Seville to Botswana. His agent, Norman Peart, confirmed as much, going so far as to praise the organization for its efforts. 

“We had some challenges; we really worked hard to get this done, but it couldn’t happen. The logistics coming out of Botswana just could not work. We’ve been at it for a while, but it just couldn’t work,” Peart said as per Jamaica Observer.

“We had our challenges, but I must say the JAAA really went out of their way to see [if it could be resolved], but the timing and the whole logistics of getting back from Botswana is very challenging and could not work out because he had to get back to the United States — and it’s [something] he cannot miss.”

With both the JAAA and Oblique Seville’s camp now aligning on the facts, the narrative of a financial fallout appears to have been put to rest. Instead, what remains is a logistical setback that has cost Jamaica two of its biggest stars, leaving the federation to regroup as it looks to salvage its World Relays campaign.