The case centers on Jamaican discus thrower Jason Morgan's challenge against the Jamaican Athletic Administrative Association (JAAA) for excluding him from the 2016 Olympic team despite meeting the qualifying standard. Morgan, a self-coached athlete with a strong competitive record, had achieved the Olympic qualifying distance in June 2015. However, the JAAA informed his legal counsel on July 21, 2016, that the final team selections had already been submitted by July 18, 2016, leaving Morgan off the roster. Morgan contended that his exclusion was unfair, as some selected athletes had not met the qualifying standard. He filed an application with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ad hoc Division on August 1, 2016, seeking inclusion in the team.
The CAS panel, comprising Justice Catherine Anne Davani, Andrea Carska-Sheppard, and Margarita Echeverría, assessed the case's admissibility. The JAAA argued that the dispute fell outside the CAS ad hoc Division's jurisdiction because it arose more than ten days before the Olympic opening ceremony on August 5, 2016. The panel agreed, ruling that the dispute originated when Morgan's legal representative was notified on July 21, 2016, which exceeded the ten-day window specified by the CAS ad hoc Rules. Consequently, the application was deemed inadmissible. The panel also clarified that direct notification to Morgan was unnecessary, as communication with his legal representative sufficed. The case was dismissed on jurisdictional grounds without addressing the merits of Morgan's claim.
Further examination revealed that Morgan had not exhausted all internal remedies within the JAAA, another requirement for CAS intervention. The panel also considered the JAAA's discretion in team selection and noted that the quota for male discus throwers had already been filled. Morgan argued that he should have been personally notified of his exclusion, but the panel rejected this, emphasizing that his legal representative had been duly authorized and informed. The CAS Ad Hoc Division ultimately ruled that Morgan's application was inadmissible because the dispute arose outside the ten-day window and internal remedies had not been exhausted. The decision underscored the jurisdictional limitations of the CAS ad hoc Division and upheld the JAAA's authority in team selection matters.