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Jamaica in drugs backflip
Didn't attend training camp...Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell. Source: The Daily Telegraph
JAMAICA has stunningly dismissed doping charges against five of its athletes and then banned at least five of its "clean" Olympic medallists - including Asafa Powell - for failing to join a training camp on the eve of the world athletics championships, starting in Berlin this weekend.
The five on doping charges had their A and B urine samples test positive for an obscure substance, methylhexaneamine, which the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority classifies as a "specified stimulant".
Methylhexaneamine was patented in 2005 by Illinois chemist and bodybuilder Patrick Arnold, who is best known for creating the designer steroids at the heart of the BALCO scandal which landed Sydney Olympic sprint queen Marion Jones in prison.
Under the World Anti-Doping Agency Code (article 10.2), the offence for this drug is a two-year ban, a penalty which may be reduced if there was no intent to gain a performance advantage.
The Jamaica anti-doping commission has launched an appeal against the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association's dismissal.
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The International Association of Athletics Federations was already angry that Commonwealth 100m titleholder Sheri-Ann Brooks walked after JADCO had opened her B-sample without she or her representative being present. The IAAF is expected to intervene in all five cases.
On another front, the JAAA effectively declared war on its former flag-bearer Asafa Powell, a four-time 100m world record setter, and his training group, MVP, coached by Steven Francis.
The MVP squad, who won nine medals at last year's Olympics, refused to attend a six-day camp which began last Thursday in Nuremburg, Germany.
Others caught up in the ban include the Beijing Olympic women's 100m winner Shelly-Ann Fraser, 400m silver medallist Sherika Williams, 400m hurdles gold medallist Melaine Walker and four-time 100m world record setter Powell.
In her Facebook page Williams last night wrote: "Oh well, the JAAA say we can't run at world championships because we did not attend the training camp."
JAAA vice-president Dr Warren Blake said: "It was not a secret that if they don't turn up at camp they would be automatically disqualified."
JAAA president Howard Aris implied the reason the camp was mandatory was because the IAAF wanted to conduct blood and urine tests there.
But every elite athlete in the world already has a "whereabouts" contract, with the IAAF permitting them to be tested any day, anywhere.
None of the five Jamaicans who tested positive for Methylhexaneamine are from the MVP group, however two are training partners of Olympic superstar Usain "Lightning" Bolt.
- By Mike Hurst
- From: The Daily Telegraph
- August 12, 2009 12:00AM
Didn't attend training camp...Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell. Source: The Daily Telegraph
JAMAICA has stunningly dismissed doping charges against five of its athletes and then banned at least five of its "clean" Olympic medallists - including Asafa Powell - for failing to join a training camp on the eve of the world athletics championships, starting in Berlin this weekend.
The five on doping charges had their A and B urine samples test positive for an obscure substance, methylhexaneamine, which the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority classifies as a "specified stimulant".
Methylhexaneamine was patented in 2005 by Illinois chemist and bodybuilder Patrick Arnold, who is best known for creating the designer steroids at the heart of the BALCO scandal which landed Sydney Olympic sprint queen Marion Jones in prison.
Under the World Anti-Doping Agency Code (article 10.2), the offence for this drug is a two-year ban, a penalty which may be reduced if there was no intent to gain a performance advantage.
The Jamaica anti-doping commission has launched an appeal against the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association's dismissal.
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
The International Association of Athletics Federations was already angry that Commonwealth 100m titleholder Sheri-Ann Brooks walked after JADCO had opened her B-sample without she or her representative being present. The IAAF is expected to intervene in all five cases.
On another front, the JAAA effectively declared war on its former flag-bearer Asafa Powell, a four-time 100m world record setter, and his training group, MVP, coached by Steven Francis.
The MVP squad, who won nine medals at last year's Olympics, refused to attend a six-day camp which began last Thursday in Nuremburg, Germany.
Others caught up in the ban include the Beijing Olympic women's 100m winner Shelly-Ann Fraser, 400m silver medallist Sherika Williams, 400m hurdles gold medallist Melaine Walker and four-time 100m world record setter Powell.
In her Facebook page Williams last night wrote: "Oh well, the JAAA say we can't run at world championships because we did not attend the training camp."
JAAA vice-president Dr Warren Blake said: "It was not a secret that if they don't turn up at camp they would be automatically disqualified."
JAAA president Howard Aris implied the reason the camp was mandatory was because the IAAF wanted to conduct blood and urine tests there.
But every elite athlete in the world already has a "whereabouts" contract, with the IAAF permitting them to be tested any day, anywhere.
None of the five Jamaicans who tested positive for Methylhexaneamine are from the MVP group, however two are training partners of Olympic superstar Usain "Lightning" Bolt.