LONDON, England (BBC) – Five top Jamaican runners, including Asafa Powell, have been cleared to compete in the World Championships.

Powell, Olympic champions Shelly-Ann Fraser and Melaine Walker, plus Brigitte Foster-Hylton and Shericka Williams, had missed team training.

Their non-appearance in Nuremberg prompted the national federation to consider taking them off the team.

But after the personal intervention of IAAF president Lamine Diack, they can now target medals in Berlin.

Diack agreed it was the right of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to punish the athletes, but he successfully argued that throwing the athletes out of the championships was too strong a punishment.

Powell’s agent Paul Doyle said: “The Jamaican Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) submitted a letter to the IAAF asking for the athletes to be relieved from the starting lists.

“Some discussions happened and the Jamaican federation sent another letter asking that their earlier letter be withdrawn. Removing the athletes was not good for anybody. If the athletes don’t get to run, everybody loses.”

Powell, 26, had earlier said the internal dispute was harming the team, claiming: “For the federation to be fighting your own athletes does not make sense.”

The former 100-metre world record holder said the five athletes, who are coached by Stephen Francis at the Maximising Velocity Power (MVP) Track Club, did not realise they had to attend the Nuremberg camp.

“We did not know the camp was mandatory,” said Powell. “We decided to make a change this year and treat this championship like a normal track meeting. I guess that caused all the problems.

He also said the federation had been at odds with Francis for some time.

Powell is considered to be one of the potential challengers to fellow Jamaican Usain Bolt, the triple Olympic gold medallist and 100-metre and 200-metre world record holder, for a gold medal in Berlin.