Anna Purchase won the women's hammer throw at the British Olympic Trials a week ago.
She is 16th in the world rankings to compete in Paris, where 32 athletes have been invited to compete.
But Purchase, 24, a native of Nottingham, England, and graduate of the University of California, will not compete in the women's hammer throw heats on Aug. 4.
She will be left at home while her former University of California teammate, Canadian Camryn Rogers, goes for the gold medal.
Purchase and other athletes in his country believe they are victims of a policy implemented by British Athletics a year ago that imposes a different qualification standard on athletes who do not meet the automatic Olympic qualification threshold but may be invited to the Olympics through their world rankings.
According to a report in the London Telegraph today, “the stated aim of the UKA selection policy is to maximise medals and top eight finishes,” citing UK Athletics chief executive Jack Buckner as saying last year that the organisation would change its policy for the Olympics and world championships to reduce team sizes and place a special emphasis on so-called “big hitters”.
Hundreds of athletes from around the world will be competing in Paris with no realistic chance of bringing home a medal, but they will be there because they meet the standard to qualify for the Olympics.
But not a purchase.
“I am heartbroken that I will not be competing in the Paris Olympics,” she wrote in an Instagram post about the incident.
Purchase said she never dreamed of competing in the Olympics growing up because it seemed so far out of reach, but when she transferred from the University of Nebraska to the University of California and began working with throwing coach Mo Saatara, she gained new confidence that big things were possible.
“I'm starting to hope and believe in this crazy dream of competing in the 2024 Olympics,” she wrote on Instagram.
She placed seventh at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and third at the 2023 NCAA Championships, finishing her UC career with the sixth-longest throw in school history.
Purchase placed eighth at the European Championships in early June and won the British Championships on 29 June.
She admitted her first season as a post-collegiate athlete was difficult, falling just short of her personal best of 239 feet 7 inches (73.02 meters) from a year ago and her 2024 best is 235 feet 6 inches (71.79). Her 2023 record would have met the UKA standard.
Here's what she wrote:
“But my averages are the same and I've been training hard to get to the Olympics and perform when it matters, and that's what happened.”
“I qualified to compete in the Olympics.”
“I will be invited by the International Olympic Committee to compete in Paris.
“The invitation will be rejected by British Athletics.”
“And I won't be allowed to compete.”
The Telegraph article, headlined “Athletes 'ashamed' to represent British Athletics over Olympic selection policy”, detailed the fate of around a dozen British athletes, including Purchase, whose places in Paris will go to less-qualified athletes from other countries.
Only 12 throwers have achieved the automatic Olympic standard of 74.00 metres, so 20 athletes who have not achieved this mark will be called into the field, including Purchase, who is 57 centimetres (less than two feet) away from the British Athletics standard and therefore cannot compete.
Jade Lilley's season best in the discus was the best by a British woman since 1983, but she fell five centimetres short of the British qualifying mark and will not compete.
“British Athletics has forced me to retire,” Larry told The Telegraph. “I'm proud to be British but I'm embarrassed to represent British Athletics. If you're a British athlete and you've already missed the Championships, I would 100% advise anyone to move to another country if that's an option. I feel like I've wasted my career trying to prove them wrong.”
Shot putter Amelia Campbell won the British title in the event and will qualify for the Paris Games through her world ranking, but she is 63cm short of the British Athletics minimum height.
“They (UKA) are killing British sport,” Campbell told The Telegraph. “I should have played in two Olympics and instead I'm retiring. I'll never get over this. I'm devastated, to be honest.”
“It's a joke that they think it's OK to do this to people,” Campbell added. “What motivates kids to continue in this sport? I could live with it even if I wasn't high enough in the rankings.” [
“(But) there will be a lot of girls at the Olympics who are not as good as me. The Olympics only come around once every four years. It's the pinnacle of our sport. I can't work any harder without the reward.”
British Athletics are due to publish the official Olympic list on Friday, during which time athletes will have the opportunity to appeal, but they have issued this disheartening final statement on the matter:
“In accordance with section 35 of the expedited appeal procedure, the Appeal Committee is invited to confirm the decision of the Select Committee and dismiss the appeal.”
