President of the Jamaica Athletic Administrative Association (JAAA) Garth Gayle says the association does not agree with the decision of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) to name Canadian swimmer Maggie MacNeil as its Athlete of the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Gayle’s statement was the latest reaction as the fallout continues from ANOC’s decision on McNeil, a swimmer who won a gold, silver and bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah, meanwhile, won gold medals while setting an Olympic record of 10.61 in the 100m and a national record of 21.53 in the 200m. The only athlete in Olympic history to win 100m and 200m titles at consecutive Olympic Games, Thompson-Herah won a third gold medal as a member of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team that set a national record of 41.02, the third fastest time in history.

ANOC’s decision to overlook Thompson-Herah’s accomplishments has not gone over well with NACAC administrators.

“The JAAA believes that Elaine Thompson-Herah’s performance at the Tokyo Summer Olympics deserves top recognition. The announcement by ANOC is well below the required standard, especially in an Olympic year,” Gayle said in his statement while outlining Thompson-Herah’s feats in Tokyo and adding that those performances “would make her the top athlete in any sport”.

“We believe ANOC made an error by not selecting Elaine and we do not support that decision.

“The JAAA has already recommended Elaine to NACAC and World Athletics as the top female athlete. Why then wasn’t she nominated and selected as the top athlete at the ANOC level?”

ANOC’s decision was described as shocking by NACAC Secretary Keith Vincent.

NACAC President Mike Sands of the Bahamas has also voiced his opinion on the matter stating that he would like to know what criteria ANOC used to come to their decision.

“How do you compare three golds, to a gold, a silver and a bronze? That’s my position,” he said.