I happened to be there when news broke that Canadian-born gymnast Marisa Dick would replace Thema. It was at the Olympic Test Meet in Rio.
We were surprised as Thema had looked healthy during Podium Training — in a striking gold leotard. No observable problems.
But her coach at the Games was John Geddert. He told the Federation Thema wasn’t ready enough. Trinidad had to fly the replacement in from Canada. Last minute.
FORMER national gymnast Thema Williams’s four-year battle for compensation, for the “biased and flawed” decision of the TT Gymnastics Federation to pull her out of the 2016 Olympic Games, came to an end at 2.20 pm on Thursday.
That was when the federation’s bankers, Republic Bank Ltd, delivered a cheque for $223,800.19 …
On November 26, 2018, Seepersad ruled Williams was entitled to $200,000 for loss of endorsements and other opportunities because of the federation’s “biased” and flawed decision to withdraw her from representing this country in the 2016 Rio Olympics. …
Gymnastics Federation pays Thema Williams damages
Federations must have clear selection policies. And enforce them.
The ONLY good news from this disaster was that Marisa had a good competition. And did qualify Trinidad to the Olympics.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 
wasn’t T&T already qualified a spot at the games because of TW 2015 world performance?
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Good question. I recall (vividly) that the competition spot was won at the Test Meet. … But I’ve been wrong before. 😀
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ok I think its coming back to me.The Federation told them that they would send the top gymnast from 2015 to the test event.
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