Bermuda Track and Field Association's decision to omit her from Bermuda's team to compete in this Saturday's prestigious CAC cross country championships.

Representatives from the Island's largest running club, Mid Atlantic Athletic Club (MAAC), said they were "astonished'' at the BTFA's decision.

And comparisons were made with top male runner Mike Watson, who was picked to represent Bermuda despite competing in only one of seven domestic cross country races this season, while Fisher ran and won all seven.

In announcing their men's and women's teams on Tuesday, the BTFA said that they had been informed that Fisher was not available.

But the runner's husband/coach Eddie later denied this, noting that Fisher had merely told the association she was not available to train with the rest of the squad under national coach Gerry Swan.

Training with the squad, said BTFA president Stanley Douglas, was a pre-requisite for selection. "We would like to have her with us but it would not be fair to those who accepted the challenge to exclude them on the basis of her performance,'' he said.

That explanation, however, has been dismissed by some members of the local running fraternity who pointed out that Fisher was the Island's only realistic medal hope in Saturday's race, which has attracted athletes from eight countries.

Long-time athletics official and MAAC representative on the BTFA, Bob Oliver said yesterday: "I phoned Eddie and offered my support in any way I could.

I'm absolutely astonished at the decision.

"I've read the BTFA's explanation and I understand their position. But sometimes you can take logic to the extent that it becomes illogical. I think that's what has happened.'' George Sutherland, another long-time administrator and MAAC representative, said: "I find the whole situation unbelievable. Jennifer has been performing better than anybody else on the Island for the last four or five months. It's just incredible she hasn't been picked.

"MAAC have a meeting this evening (Wednesday) and I hope to have some resolution from the club on this matter.

"I feel when they made the selection they should have looked more closely at the results during the cross country series this season.

"I take exception to Mike Watson being selected. He competed in only one race. If he was chosen on the strength of his ability, then the same should apply to Jennifer.

"Most importantly, the BTFA are denying a Bermudian woman the chance to win a medal for Bermuda. She was our best medal hope.'' Joining the chorus of complaints was Fisher's Commonwealth Games team-mate Brett Forgesson, whose lead-up to last summer's marathon in Victoria, Canada was also clouded in controversy when he was called upon "to prove his fitness'' having already made the Games qualifying standard.

In a letter to the editor (see Page 21), Forgesson, who helped organise this season's cross country series, wrote: "The decision appears to be one of petty politics intruding where it does not belong.

"The team has been training under the guidance of the national coach Gerry Swan -- and quite rightly so.

"However, athletes of Jennifer's ability need only that -- guidance. She already has her own coach and her own training programme.

"Is it any coincidence that Mike Watson who is coached by Gerry Swan is in the team although he ran only one race in the recent cross country series and came fifth while Jennifer, who won all seven races, was not selected. I think not.

"Jennifer has been a faithful representative and a worthy competitor for Bermuda over the years. She deserves more than this type of callous treatment from an association put there to represent its athletes.

"She deserves no less than the right to represent her country in a major international games on her home soil. I still hope she gets that chance.''