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Italian newspaper names the five
Blake, Anderson, Brooks, Spence, Fothergill identified in drugs probe
CMC
Sunday, July 26, 2009
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) - Jamaican and world officials remained tight-lipped, but an Italian newspaper has named the five Jamaican athletes that failed recent drug tests for banned performance-enhancing substances.
Neither the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO), nor the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA), nor the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has officially disclosed the names of the athletes, nor the drugs found in the samples, despite confirming the positive tests.
LEFT To RIGHT: Lansford Spence in action at the National Stadium. Yohan Blake (left) and Marvin Anderson during training at the Stadium East. Allodin Fothergill competing at the World Junior Championships in China in 2006. Sherry-Ann Brooks preparing for the National Championships at the National Stadium earlier this year. (Photos: Bryan Cummings)
But the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper reported yesterday that the athletes involved are sprinters Yohan Blake, Marvin Anderson, and Commonwealth Games 100 metres champion Sherry-Ann Brooks, as well as quarter-milers Allodin Fothergill and Lansford Spence.
CMC sources have confirmed that Brooks through her manager, Spence through his coach, and Forthergill himself have all received notification about the tests.
The 19-year-old Blake combined with celebrated training partner Usain Bolt, the triple Olympic sprint champion, compatriot Mario Forsythe, and Antigua & Barbuda's Daniel Bailey to clock the fourth fastest 4x100 metres relay of all-time yesterday at the London Grand Prix, where he has avoided questions on the matter.
There was no word on whether Anderson, the 2007 World Championship relay silver medallist, has been informed.
The test results mean that the participation of all five athletes for the World Championships in Berlin next month is now under a cloud.
According to media reports in Jamaica, all five tested positive for the same drug, although they have all trained under different circumstances.
Reports also indicated that the drug is not an anabolic steroid, and is believed to be a minor substance, meaning the athletes could get off with a reprimand if they can provide a valid explanation.
When all of the athletes are officially informed of the test results, a hearing is likely to be convened, and a request made for the B-Sample to be tested as soon as this week.
There can be no sanctions until the athletes' side has been heard at the tribunal and the testing of the B-Sample.
The news has captured the sports headlines in the island and around the world, but it would come as no surprise to critics of the testing programme in Jamaica.
A number of people, including former Olympic and world star athlete Carl Lewis of the United States, have seriously questioned the strictness of the testing regime in the island.
Dr Adrian Lorde, head of the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organisation, also singled out the Jamaicans last year, for not conducting enough tests.
Jamaica Prime Minister Bruce Golding met on Friday with JADCO and top athletics officials to demand answers about the embarrassing revelations.
The Jamaicans captured world attention and acclaim with their magnificent performance at the Beijing Olympics last summer when they landed all the major individual sprint titles.
They finished third in the track and field medal table, behind the United States and Russia, picking up an all-time best 11 medals - six gold, three silver, and two bronze.
This latest finding significantly escalates the number of failed drug tests for Jamaican athletes in recent years.
In the past eight years, five Jamaicans have returned positive doping tests, the most recent case involving Julien Dunkley.
A United States-based sprinter, Dunkley was dropped from 2008 Beijing Olympics team after testing positive for boldenone.
Prior to this, sprinter Patrick Jarrett was banned for two years after he tested positive for the steroid stanozolol in 2001 and since then, shot putter Dorian Scott (marijuana), triple jumper Suzette Lee (salbutamol) and sprinter Steve Mullings (testosterone) also failed tests for banned substances.
Blake, Anderson, Brooks, Spence, Fothergill identified in drugs probe
CMC
Sunday, July 26, 2009
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) - Jamaican and world officials remained tight-lipped, but an Italian newspaper has named the five Jamaican athletes that failed recent drug tests for banned performance-enhancing substances.
Neither the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO), nor the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA), nor the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has officially disclosed the names of the athletes, nor the drugs found in the samples, despite confirming the positive tests.
LEFT To RIGHT: Lansford Spence in action at the National Stadium. Yohan Blake (left) and Marvin Anderson during training at the Stadium East. Allodin Fothergill competing at the World Junior Championships in China in 2006. Sherry-Ann Brooks preparing for the National Championships at the National Stadium earlier this year. (Photos: Bryan Cummings)
But the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper reported yesterday that the athletes involved are sprinters Yohan Blake, Marvin Anderson, and Commonwealth Games 100 metres champion Sherry-Ann Brooks, as well as quarter-milers Allodin Fothergill and Lansford Spence.
CMC sources have confirmed that Brooks through her manager, Spence through his coach, and Forthergill himself have all received notification about the tests.
The 19-year-old Blake combined with celebrated training partner Usain Bolt, the triple Olympic sprint champion, compatriot Mario Forsythe, and Antigua & Barbuda's Daniel Bailey to clock the fourth fastest 4x100 metres relay of all-time yesterday at the London Grand Prix, where he has avoided questions on the matter.
There was no word on whether Anderson, the 2007 World Championship relay silver medallist, has been informed.
The test results mean that the participation of all five athletes for the World Championships in Berlin next month is now under a cloud.
According to media reports in Jamaica, all five tested positive for the same drug, although they have all trained under different circumstances.
Reports also indicated that the drug is not an anabolic steroid, and is believed to be a minor substance, meaning the athletes could get off with a reprimand if they can provide a valid explanation.
When all of the athletes are officially informed of the test results, a hearing is likely to be convened, and a request made for the B-Sample to be tested as soon as this week.
There can be no sanctions until the athletes' side has been heard at the tribunal and the testing of the B-Sample.
The news has captured the sports headlines in the island and around the world, but it would come as no surprise to critics of the testing programme in Jamaica.
A number of people, including former Olympic and world star athlete Carl Lewis of the United States, have seriously questioned the strictness of the testing regime in the island.
Dr Adrian Lorde, head of the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organisation, also singled out the Jamaicans last year, for not conducting enough tests.
Jamaica Prime Minister Bruce Golding met on Friday with JADCO and top athletics officials to demand answers about the embarrassing revelations.
The Jamaicans captured world attention and acclaim with their magnificent performance at the Beijing Olympics last summer when they landed all the major individual sprint titles.
They finished third in the track and field medal table, behind the United States and Russia, picking up an all-time best 11 medals - six gold, three silver, and two bronze.
This latest finding significantly escalates the number of failed drug tests for Jamaican athletes in recent years.
In the past eight years, five Jamaicans have returned positive doping tests, the most recent case involving Julien Dunkley.
A United States-based sprinter, Dunkley was dropped from 2008 Beijing Olympics team after testing positive for boldenone.
Prior to this, sprinter Patrick Jarrett was banned for two years after he tested positive for the steroid stanozolol in 2001 and since then, shot putter Dorian Scott (marijuana), triple jumper Suzette Lee (salbutamol) and sprinter Steve Mullings (testosterone) also failed tests for banned substances.
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