Confusion still surrounds the non-participation of the fastest woman alive, Elaine Thompson-Herah, at the USATF Bermuda Grand Prix after her agent said “she was never booked or confirmed” for the international event.

Speaking on Caribbean television channel Sportsmax, the five-times Olympic champion’s agent, Marvin Anderson, of Andi Sports Management, refuted claims that she had ever agreed to come to Bermuda.

“She was never booked and she was never confirmed,” Anderson said.

“I asked the meet organisers if they had put out something and they said no, so I don’t know where that was leaked from. I know they had an interest way back, but no.”

Thompson-Herah was used as the main attraction in promotional material by the Bermuda Tourism Authority. Indeed a press release on the BTA website dated March 19 and which is still available to read online, says that “celebrity all-star athletes such as the newest Fastest Man in the World, Noah Lyles, the Fastest Woman Alive, Elaine Thompson-Herah and Abby Steiner, will line up”. The headline on the article reads “World’s Fastest Man and Woman Confirmed to Compete”.

Anticipation and excitement had soared in the build up to the international event but it was left until Friday, less than 48 hours before the Grand Prix and after many spectators had already purchased tickets, before the island was informed that the Jamaican would not be heading to Bermuda.

Given the comments made by Thompson-Herah’s agent to Sportsmax, The Royal Gazette reached out to the BTA and asked if Thompson-Herah’s agent was right that she was never booked and had never confirmed that she would come to the island?

The BTA was also questioned as to when it was aware that Ms Thompson-Herah would not be on island in any capacity and if had any comment to make to those who purchased tickets in advance of the very late announcement that she would not be participating?

In a one-sentence reply to those questions, the BTA said: “Paul Doyle, founder of the American Track League, has already addressed this at last Friday’s athlete press conference. We defer to you to reach out to Mr. Doyle for comment directly.”

At the press conference on Friday, Doyle attempted to explain Thompson-Herah’s absence by saying that her sponsors had agreed the visit.

“We were told by her sponsors that she would be coming,’’ Doyle said. “The sponsors are very involved with her, both from a management and sponsor’s standpoint.

“We were waiting for the management team to officially confirm and even in the final hours we tried to get her just to show up.”

Among those disappointed not to witness Thompson-Herah in action was Somerset resident Debra Bascome, who got the opportunity to meet the star at a track meet in Spanish Town, Jamaica, during a visit to the Caribbean island prior to her rise to world dominance in the 100 and 200 metres.

“You have heard of election ploys and I am thinking this a track ploy because they said it was a complete sellout and you know everybody was coming to see Elaine Thompson-Herah,” she said.

“You noticed, if you were there, the Jamaicans were not out in full force like they would have been had she come wearing their colours and their flags.

“I heard she did want to come and it would have been nice had she showed up. She could have been a presenter, if not a participant. All in all I enjoyed my day but just think the organisers have to do better than that.”