media_artricles :: 2014

Champ Nero skips UWI Half-Marathon

Coach Voisin unhappy over prize delay

Tonya Nero will not defend her UWI SPEC International Half-Marathon women’s title on Sunday.

Nero would have been chasing a hat-trick of titles in the 13.1-mile race. But instead, Trinidad and Tobago’s best female distance runner will be in Guyana, representing the country in a North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC) ten-kilometre event. Nero and Jenelle Nedd will fly the T&T flag in the women’s race, while Richard Jones is the country’s lone entrant in the NACAC men’s 10K. Paul Voisin will accompany the three athletes to Guyana as manager/coach.

Nero won the UWI Half-Marathon in 2012 in one hour, 18 minutes, 19 seconds. Last year, however, she clocked 1:21:29, and was forced into second spot by Nigerian-born American Mary Akor (1:21:11). But Akor subsequently received a retroactive two-year ban for a December 16, 2012 positive drug test.

Voisin, who coaches Nero, told the Express he contacted the UWI Half-Marathon event manager, Nicole Young to find out if Nero had been officially promoted to first, following Akor’s disqualification.

“I explained that Nero could have been going after a hat-trick. Ms Young said it would be discussed, but only contacted me when she was told Nero was not running. I told her UWI needed to address the prize situation, since Nero was now first and Jenelle Nedd was up from fourth to third. She did write Nero and Nedd, telling them they were moved up to first and third, and that they would be given their prizes on a date to be announced.

“I called them back,” Voisin continued, “and told them that was unacceptable. The 2014 event is almost here, and it’s not like they’re waiting for pending information from the NAAA (National Association of Athletics Administrations) or the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations). We are not accepting that standard, so we withdrew from the event.

“We expect them to honour the prizes, and also to publicly declare Nero the champion and Nedd third.”

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