(CMR) The Cayman Athletics Association claims it has apologized to Lacee Barnes-Riley and her husband for the way their coaching credentials were revoked at the CARIFTA games. However, Barnes-Riley has confirmed with CMR that she has received no apology from the track and field association.
The apology was made available to several other local media houses, but the link to the statement is actually not working. Barnes-Riley and her husband were reportedly escorted out of the warm-up area by armed personnel after the Cayman Athletics Association, formerly the CIAA, filed a complaint against them.
While denying that armed soldiers escorted Barnes-Riley and her husband from trackside, the CIAA said it apologized for how the situation unfolded.
“The CIAA Executive would like to apologize to her and her husband for their experience at CARIFTA, and we regret the way it unfolded. We hope that they will consider formally engaging with the CIAA training and development programs as their experience and expertise will greatly benefit the further development of our Cayman athletes,” a statement from the CIAA said.
The CIAA said it had to report the couple because they had acquired their accreditation outside the local governing body, which could have had serious implications for the athletes and the organization.
“We concede that the way it was handled by CARIFTA organizers was regrettable, but the outcome would have been the same – a revocation of the accreditation due to the way in which it was obtained,” the local organization stated.
“Ms. Barnes-Riley is a talented and respected Caymanian athlete whose contributions to the country’s track and field community, both on and off the field, are invaluable and greatly appreciated,” the statement added.
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