NORFOLK — Norfolk State sprinter Kai Cole said in a social media statement that he has missed an opportunity to compete in the U.S. Olympic track and field trials because of an oversight by the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
“As many of you know, I was supposed to be competing, but due to the MEAC’s failure to sanction our conference track meet, my qualifying time of 10.05 was rejected by USATF,” Cole said in the statement.
Thank you. pic.twitter.com/8TzGQpEp4t
— Kai Cole (@2FlyyKai) June 20, 2024
Cole clinched a MEAC title on May 8 by running 10.05 seconds in the 100-meter dash. The time was a personal best and was fast enough to qualify for the Olympic trials.
The Alexandria native said he attempted to appeal the decision made by USA Track & Field, but was unsuccessful. An email to Cole from USATF statistician Glen McMiken, obtained by WAVY-TV’s Craig Loper, said the meet where Cole ran his 10.05 was “not USATF sanctioned or listed on the World Athletics Calendar.”
“Despite my best efforts to appeal the decision, it was still denied, and unfortunately my university didn’t fully support me in effort to get the ruling overturned,” Cole said in the statement. “Opportunities like this don’t come around very often, so for this to be stripped away from me is truly heartbreaking.”
The MEAC released a statement Friday afternoon, saying its conference track and field championship is still an official NCAA Division I championship event, but policy changes by the USATF resulted in the event not being sanctioned by the USATF. The statement did not elaborate as to what policy changes were made.
“Although the MEAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship remains an official NCAA Division-I championship event, USATF policy changes implemented this year resulted in the event not being officially sanctioned by USATF, making all competition results ineligible for Olympic Trial qualification,” the statement said. “We understand Kai’s frustration and took all available steps to rectify the situation so he could compete in the Olympic Trials — an opportunity he clearly deserves. The MEAC fully supports our member institutions and student-athletes as they pursue their dreams and strive for excellence. We are disappointed by the decision from USATF and are working to ensure our track and field championships are sanctioned USATF events moving forward.”
The U.S. trials began Friday in Eugene, Oregon, and will run through June 30.
Norfolk State Athletics released a statement on the matter Friday afternoon in support for its track star.
“It is with great disappointment that Norfolk State Athletics confirms the disqualification of Kai Cole’s 100-meter time, rendering him ineligible to compete at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials,” the statement said. “This news comes as a profound blow to our athletics department, as Kai is one of our most outstanding student-athletes. Kai had earned the well-deserved opportunity to represent his country on the international stage, showcasing his exceptional talent and unwavering dedication. It is truly disheartening that he will not be able to pursue his dream of competing on one of the world’s biggest platforms this year.”
Cole also won the MEAC’s 200-meter dash in May with a time of 20.55. He won the conference championship in both the 100- and 200-meter dash last year. In February, Cole won his third straight MEAC indoor title in the 60 meters.
Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com
