Nick Symmonds, America鈥檚 800-meter national champion, said he was that will compete in the World Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Beijing, .
On Sunday night, Symmonds tweeted:
I just received word from that I have been left off the team.
鈥 Nick Symmonds (@NickSymmonds)
Proud to have stood my ground and fought another battle for athletes' rights. A huge thank you to the media and fans for all your support.
鈥 Nick Symmonds (@NickSymmonds)
听
Clayton Murphy, a student the University of Akron,听tweeted that he'll be taking a spot on the U.S. team instead:
Very blessed with the opportunities I have been given this season. Especially to be able to compete at the World Championships
鈥 Clayton Murphy (@Clayton_Murph)
Symmonds said that USA Track and Field removed him from the team after he failed to sign a contract mandating that he wear gear made by Nike鈥搕he official sponsor of USATF鈥揳t official team functions. (Nike sponsored Symmonds for seven years. Symmonds switched to Brooks in 2014.) Symmonds said that it鈥檚 not clear what counts as an official function, and he doesn鈥檛 want to jeopardize his relationship with Brooks.
“Two years' worth of work to try to win another medal for my country are now down the drain,” . “Is it frustrating? Of course. But no part of me regrets doing this.”