KINGSTOWN – Top regional distance runner Pamenos Ballantyne is angry over his omission from the St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Commonwealth Games team to Australia next month.

SVG Athletics chief Keith Joseph said the decision to omit Ballantyne from the squad was made for "health reasons" to prevent "severe strain" on his body since he had already competed in two marathons – the Reggae Marathon in Jamaica and the T&T CLICO Marathon – since December.

But the 32-year-old Ballantyne, the Caribbean's leading marathon runner, was complaining that he and his manager were not consulted about the issue and he was insisting that he could handle the load of races.

"The athlete himself is supposed to determine how he feels or the doctor, Keith is not a doctor, he is not a coach, he is not the athlete," Ballantyne told CMC Sport.

"He hasn't communicated with me or my manager, so how can he make a recommendation (about my status), what kind of expertise does he have?" Ballantyne fumed.

"I am the premier marathon runner in the Caribbean, and I am very disappointed.

"I always put my country first, I always give 100 per cent representation when it comes to SVG and they haven't communicated with me or my manager and given any reasonable reason why they haven't put me on the team," he added.

The nine-time Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Half Marathon champion declared that even if the local governing body felt running three gruelling 26.2-mile marathons within a 3-1/2 month period was too much for him, he could have been placed in a shorter distance race on the track.

"I could run the 5 000 metre race or even 10 000 metres on the track, which I did at past Commonwealth Games, so if they said I can't compete in the marathon, I am available for the five or 10 000," Ballantyne said.

Last weekend, Ballantyne was a popular choice for the SVG Sports Personality-Of-The Year, and he also captured the Sportsman-Of-The-Year award.

He has a personal best of two hours 15 minutes, 30 seconds in the marathon and has best international results in the event of 31st at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and 25th at the 2001 IAAF World Championship in Canada.
(CMC)