50.51 seconds in the semifinals of the 400m at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics – this track and field athlete gave it all she had but finished 4th, missing the chance to race in the finals. But her hopes of securing an Olympic gold were not dead yet; she had a team to run with. She turned her focus on the 4x400m relay. The athlete ran a split of 49.6 seconds in the heats, helping the team qualify for the final. Though she didn’t run in the final, she was vital in the team’s journey.

The U.S. team clinched the gold medal with a time of 3:16.85, and thanks to that, Wadeline Venlogh became the first student-athlete from UMass Boston to earn an Olympic medal. Now, this is 2025. The USATF championships have wrapped up, and we have our teams for the Worlds. But VenLogh was nowhere to be found in this event! Does that mean she will not be there in the Tokyo World Athletics Championships? Her career update speaks differently.

Global Athletics Hub took to their official X handle today to announce, “Tokyo 2021 Olympic 4x400m Champion Wadeline Venlogh, who also finished fourth at the 2019 World Championships over 400m, has switched allegiance to Haiti. The 27 year old looks set to represent her country of birth at the Tokyo World Championships.”

One of the women who helped America secure an Olympic gold in the relay at the Tokyo Olympics would not be looking to do the same for Haiti in the Tokyo World Athletics Championships! Why did she take that decision? As of now, there have been no official statements from her side on this. Though it is noticeable that she did not race in the 2024 season at all.

Another reason could be that Team USA is too competitive to make. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Isabella Whittaker, and Aaliyah Butler – all three of them clocked a time of sub-50 to secure their position in Tokyo. Meanwhile, the last time Wadeline ran a sub-50 was back in 2019. But why Haiti? Because it is her birthplace.

Wadeline was born and raised till 10 in Haiti. She shared in an interview, “I moved to the U.S. in 2009. I was 11 and a half. My mom was already living here. She had two kids here with one on the way, but there were four of us left in Haiti. I was living with my grandmother and grandfather. In 2009, we all came to the U.S. together.” And things were not so easy for her in the country.

The first barrier was language. She went from speaking Haitian Creole to being unable to communicate with anyone without a translator. Plus, at the age of 15, Wadeline Venlogh was homeless, and it wasn’t until she was 17 years old that she became an American citizen. She is not the only one who has switched allegiances before the World Championships this year.

Athletes who switched allegiances before the Tokyo World Athletics Championships

In May 2025, Nigerian sprint standout Favour Ofili officially applied to switch her sporting allegiance to Turkey. This move was reportedly driven by frustrations with administrative errors by Nigeria’s Athletics Federation, including missed Olympic entries. She had met the 100m qualifying standard for the Paris 2024 Olympics, but the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) failed to submit her name, costing her the chance to compete. This was not the first time.

Back in 2021, she also missed the Tokyo Olympics 200m event when the AFN and the Nigeria Anti-Doping Committee (NADC) did not arrange the required doping tests in time. Other than her, many athletes from Jamaica are also rushing towards Turkey.  As per the reports, shot put bronze medallist Rajindra Campbell and discus record-breaker Roje Stona have officially switched their allegiance to Turkey, driven in part by attractive financial incentives of up to US$500,000 and monthly support.

Meanwhile, long jumper Wayne Pinnock has confirmed his switch. Wadeline Venlogh has a different reason and country ofcoue but she is also now a part of the list. She would be going up against Sydney McLaughlin Lervone in the 400m. The hurdler herself would be looking to beat the likes of Marileidy Paulino and Naser to win her first 40mm World title. Who’s your pick?