Race winner Robyn Stevens approaches finish tape at the 2020 national meet in Santee. Photo by Ken Stone
Robyn Stevens, America’s top female race walker, is fighting to join Team USA at next month’s world championships in Oregon after being removed from consideration.
“A grievance has been filed and all questions can now be directed toward my lawyer,” she said Tuesday.
She named Paul F. DeMeester of San Francisco as one of of her attorneys in the case against USA Track & Field, the sport’s national governing body.
DeMeester and USATF officials didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
But Tracy Sundlun, the Santee race walk organizer, confirmed Wednesday that a grievance has been filed.
“I don’t know anything more than that about the process, other than the general rule that no one other than the lawyers or spokespeople are allowed to say anything,” he said.
Stevens, who set three U.S. records a day before her 39th birthday in April at a Slovakia competition, started the world meet trials in the 35-kilometer race in January but dropped out with an injury after 12 miles of the 21.75-mile event held in Santee, north of San Diego.
The Vacaville native recently learned that World Athletics, in its event rankings, denoted her as “withdrawn” from the 35K event at the meet in Eugene, Oregon. The chair of the USATF Race Walk Committee later wrote her to say rules dictate that she couldn’t be on Team USA in the 35K.
Stevens, a Tokyo Olympian, also hopes to compete in the 20K walk at the first world outdoor meet on U.S. soil, where she is ranked No. 45 in the world. The field is capped at 60. USATF hasn’t indicated whether she is on the 20K team.
Normally, grievances with USATF take months, but a provision exists for expedited hearing.
According to the USATF FAQ on grievances, the complaint must allege that a party has violated USATF’s Bylaws or Operating Regulations, the Sports Act, the [World Athletics] eligibility rules, or had engaged in conduct detrimental to the best interests of athletics or USATF.”
USATF has a grievance filing fee of $250.
The complaint will be heard by the National Athletics Board of Review, the same panel that Vin Lananna first used to regain his presidency of USATF. (He later was reinstated by the international Court of Arbitration for Sport.)
USATF’s FAQ says “National Office Management” would first appoint a mediator with a timely hearing.
“An impartial mediator meets with all of the parties, together, and separately, and tries to get the parties to resolve the matter. There is no requirement to settle,” USATF says.
The women’s 20K race walk in Eugene is 37 days away. The 35K walk is a week later.
This is a breaking story. Check back later for updates.