Thema Williams
After a four-year wait to receive monetary damages from the Trinidad and Tobago Gymnastics Federation (TTGF), gymnast Thema Williams received payment on Thursday afternoon, following a ruling from a High Court judge.
High Court judge Frank Seepersad ruled on Thursday that Republic Bank at which the TTGF held an account, make out a cheque payable to Williams for $223,800.19. The amount includes interest accrued on the original judgement in 2018 of TT$200.000.00. According to the Newsday publication, the bank complied with the order about two hours before the 4:00 pm deadline set by the judge.
Her lawyer Martin Daly SC, meanwhile, has expressed concern over how the athlete was treated by the federation while it was collecting funds from the Trinidadian government mirroring comments made by Judge Seepersad in his ruling.
In his written judgement the judge stated; "Transparency of conduct, strict compliance with the law and accountability must define the way in which persons, organizations and entities operate. It is difficult to comprehend why the Judgment Debtor has continued to be in receipt of State funding and donations when it stands in violation of a court order."
In 2018, Williams won a court battle against the TTGF that was deemed to have discriminated against the gymnast when they withdrew her from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio Brazil. In her place, the TTGF selected Canadian-born gymnast Marisa Dick.
Williams had sought to recover damages of TT$11 million but the court ordered that she receive TT$150,000 in exemplary damages and a further TT$50,000 in lost earnings.
At the time of Thursday’s order, the amount in the TTGF’s account was just over TT$257,000.
Daly told Sportsmax.TV that he was delighted at the outcome but expressed concerns over how the state had treated the athlete who had to wait as long to be compensated after being egregiously wronged.
"I am pleased that she has finally got her money," he said while highlighting comments from Judge Seepersad during his ruling on Thursday.
"I think the most important comments in the judgement yesterday is the criticism of the state for continuing to provide funds for a federation that had behaved in the way that it did."
It brings into question the accountability of sporting bodies and why would a government continue to provide subvention to a body that had behaved in that way. One of the things that had greatly upset me was that as few as 14 days after the original judgement there was a picture in the newspaper of officials from sporting bodies receiving money from the state and included in that was the TTGF and I just could not understand why they couldn't have, as we say colloquially, 'mash brakes and think about what they were doing.
"So I think there is a very important long-term outcome of this which is the judge's criticism of the state being blind to egregious acts by sporting bodies. That is the long-term message we should take from this."
Leighton Levy is a journalist with 28 years’ experience covering crime, entertainment, and sports. He joined the staff at SportsMax.TV as a content editor two years ago and is enjoying the experience of developing sports content and new ideas. At SportsMax.tv he is pursuing his true passion - sports.
Reid hopes historic addition to FIG Code of Points will aide growth of Ja's gymnastics
The overall performances may not have been polished as Michael Reid would have liked, but the Jamaican gymnast did achieve a significant milestone at the recently concluded Pan American (PanAm) Artistic Gymnastics Championships, which he hopes will serve as another catalyst to promote the sports growth locally.
Reid’s original skill performed on the pommel horse at the event in Medellin, Colombia, was accepted in the FIG Code of Points and saw him joining Caleb Faulk –who achieved the feat last year on the high bar –as Jamaicans to have etched their names in the annals of gymnastics scoring history.
But while the American-born Reid, who has been representing Jamaica since 2016 welcomed the historic achievement, he was more delighted about the attention it will bring to the island and, by extension, the efforts of the Jamaica Gymnastics Association (JAGA).
Reid only took on the pommel horse and parallel bars where he scored 11.933 and 12.467 for a total 24.400.
“It wasn't the overall result I wanted, but it provides indications of what I need to work on in training for the rest of the season. That said, I am extremely happy and proud of my new skill, it has always been my dream to have a skill in the code, but I think doing it for Jamaica makes it even more important,” Reid declared.
“President Nicole [Grant], the JAGA board and all of the senior team members, old and new, have been working hard to build Jamaican gymnastics from the foundation up.
“They have been showing local kids that they can shine and be great in the sport, especially on the biggest stages and have paved the way for them to have even greater successes. So, as happy as I am for myself, I am even happier for Jamaica’s gymnastics,” he added.
For Reid, getting the skill, a travelling backward hop over both pommels, into the FIG Code of Points, somewhat signals a changing of the tide where the dominance of the more illustrious countries is concerned.
“The Gymnastics Code book is full of skills named after Europeans, Asians and American athletes, but there were zero Jamaican skill creators until Caleb created the "Faulk" (a high bar dismount) and we have a second skill the "Reid" on pommel horse.
“So now among the Bretschneiders and Li Ningd, there is also Faulk and Reid. Even after Caleb and I retire, our skills will be in the gymnastics Code of Points forever claiming space for Jamaican athletes. I am proud of the effort and sacrifices that went into making it happen,” Reid noted.
The 30-year-old was not shy to admit that it took grit and stubborn determination to attain his current successes, as he reflected on the 2022 season which was lined with highs and lows.
Reid explained that he had to perform the great balancing act of coaching NCAA gymnastics at the US Naval Academy with his commitment to representing Jamaica.
“I had to learn to be very efficient in my workouts and with my recovery. The physical side of it wasn't a problem, but there were a lot of mental struggles with being in the gym 8-10 hours each day and still having to put out quality workouts,” the three-time NCAA All-American shared.
“So, it took a real mental shift to make it work and it also taught me that I need to focus more on enjoying the performance side of pommel and showing off the work that I have done. It took a whole year, and a dislocated finger to get it ready for competition, and everything is now falling into place which tells me that I still have more to give to this sport,” Reid stated.
And more Reid intends to give, as he has his sights set on the Paris World Cup with hopes of securing an historic podium finish.
“I do have another skill I want to present on Parallel Bars, but that is going to have to wait. My focus now is a medal for Jamaica. Paris is the next chance for that and beyond that, I would love to do anything I can to continue the growth of gymnastics in Jamaica,” Reid ended.
Ja's gymnasts take positives from failed qualification bid at PanAm Champs in Colombia
Despite failing to secure qualification to the Pan American (PanAm) Games nor the World Championships, Jamaica's artistic gymnasts Tyesha Mattis and Kiara Richmon took heart from their respective performances at the just-concluded PanAm Gymnastics Championships in Medellin, Colombia.
Mattis, Richmon and newcomer Mya Absolam, all produced credible showings in a highly competitive environment at the three-day championships which ended on Sunday but were unable to break into a coveted top 12 position.
The England-born Mattis, who was Jamaica’s standout performer at last year’s event when she qualified for the World championships, expressed some disappointment that she wasn’t able to repeat the feat, as she was firmly set on getting to the PanAm Games in Chile and the World Championships in Belgium, later this year.
She placed 32nd overall with an all-around total of 44.500, after scoring 12.867 on vault, 10.533 on uneven bars, 10.733 on the balance beam and 10.367 for her floor routine.
"I was happy with parts of my performances, but I felt like I put a little bit too much pressure on myself to qualify and so I didn’t do as well as I would have liked to,” Mattis said shortly after competition.
However, the 24-year-old did find a few positive takeaways that she hopes to improve on ahead of next month’s Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in El Salvador, when she is next expected to parade her skills for the island.
“I managed to complete a 2 1/2 twist off beam again after not putting that out in competition for over four years, so I am super proud of myself in that regards as I am proving to myself that I can do more than I am limiting myself to,” she reasoned.
“I am more than capable, and I just need to trust that my body can do the work and again, not putting too much pressure on myself. I work so hard in the gym and when I really wanted to put out my best, I made a couple mistakes.
“But I have to remember I’m only human and I can learn from some of my mistakes and so I am really looking forward to a better performance out in El Salvador in a couple weeks. Looking forward to trying some different routines there and putting out more of my skills as I know I have so much more up my sleeve and the more I compete internationally, the more confident I feel,” Mattis added.
For Richmon, who placed 36th overall with an all-around score of 42.866, just being able to represent Jamaica at the event, represents a remarkable achievement and another significant milestone in her budding career.
Her total includes score of 11.100 on vault, 10.233 on the uneven bars, 10.400 on the balance beam and 11.133 for her floor routine.
“I feel like I did my best with my performance at the championships, especially being that I only had two weeks to prepare. So, I am definitely proud that I was able to hit all four apparatus and getting to be here with the team,” Richmon shared.
With this being her first elite outing since 2019, the 21-year-old Fisk University student is eagerly looking forward to continuing her journey, as her unwavering determination, relentless work ethic and immense potential positions her as one of country’s gymnast to watch.
“It felt amazing, and this performance will definitely serve as motivation for me going forward, I just need to just trust my training and do not over work myself. I also need to have more confidence and belief in myself and hopefully on my next competition I can produce a stronger performance with cleaner routines,” the US-born Richmon said.
Meanwhile, Absolam, another England-born gymnast, had an all-around total of 39.533, after scoring 10.333, 10.033, 8.600, 10.567, on vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor, respectively. She placed 42nd overall.
On the male side, Canada-born Elel Wahrmann-Baker, was Jamaica’s top performer, placing 27th overall, with an all-around total of 72.301. Wahrmann-Baker had scores of 12.767 on floor, 13.067 on the pommel horse, 11.067 on rings, 13.100 on vault, 13.133 parallel bars and 10.167 on high bar.
Caleb Faulk placed 29th overall with scores of 12.300, 10.900, 12.400, 12.767, 11.9667 and 11.667 for an all-Around total of 72.001, while Matthew McClymont tallied 63.165 for 47th overall. His scores include 12.233, 9.133, 7.533, 12.733, 10.800 and 10.733.
Jamaica’s other representative Michael Reid only took on the pommel horse and parallel bars where he scored 11.933 and 12.467 for a total 24.400.
Mattis raring to go for PanAm Gymnastics Champs, eyes World Champs qualification
After a year-long wait, Jamaica's England-born artistic gymnast Tyesha Mattis is excited to finally be back on the PanAm Gymnastics Championships stage, with the main objective being to repeat her World Championships qualification feat.
Mattis, who enjoyed a fairly successful debut season for Jamaica after switching allegiance, qualified for the World Championships on the back of a stellar performance at last year's Pan Am Championships in Brazil. However, she was unable to take up her spot at the World event, which serves as an Olympic Games qualifier, due to financial constraints.
With that disappointment still fresh in her mind, Mattis is now eager to spring into action in Medellin, Colombia, as she hopes to surpass her performances from last year.
She will be joined by United States-based Kiara Richmon and newcomer Mya Absolam as Jamaica's representatives at the three-day championships scheduled to begin on Friday.
The other team members Danyella Holmes and Jamilia Francis, both pulled out due to injury and a lack of readiness, respectively.
"I am so excited to be out here to again represent my country, this is my first major competition for the season and a really important one on my list. So, I am itching to get going as I’m really looking forward to improving my performance from last year," Mattis declared.
That performance she refers to is the 48.467 she tallied All-Around, with scores of 12.867 on vault, 13.000 on uneven bars, 11.333 on the balance beam and 11.267 on her floor routine.
Though that, among others to date identify her as one of Jamaica’s best young gymnasts, Mattis, knows she still has a ways to go and needs to continue improving to bring her Olympic dream to fruition.
“You always want to get better, and I honestly believe there isn’t really anywhere to stop in terms of areas you can improve on, but I feel as ready as I can be," she said.
"My preparation has been really good, I have been working on some old skills I used to have in my routine, hoping to up my start value a little and those routines are going well. So all I can do now is try my best, I know I have put the work in and I’m just going to try my best to get everything out there," Mattis added.
The 23-year-old is no stranger to the big stage as she had success as a six-time British champion, two-time English champion, Australian youth Olympic champion and European Youth Olympic medallist before injuries derailed her budding career and forced her to step away from the sport in 2018.
But since returning and, by extension, switching allegiance to Jamaica, the land of mother Charmaine Clarke's birth, Mattis has shown that she is willing to put in the hours of gruelling work it takes to be an Olympic athlete.
Should she make the cut for the World Championships and go on to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Mattis would join Toni-Ann Williams and the recently retired British-born Danusia Francis to achieve the feat.
"I think it’s safe to say I am much more motivated now than I was last year, I have set myself a few targets and I have been working really hard to make achieve them. My first goal is to qualify for the World Championships and have a clean competition and then getting to the Olympic Games is my ultimate dream," Mattis noted.
"But the journey starts here and so I just want to go out there and do my absolute best on the four apparatuses, but I need to do it slowly and smartly and then build from there. I just want to be able to jump high and flip better to make my start values higher and give myself a good chance of medalling," the cheerful personality ended.
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