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Jamaica’s 400m runner Spence deported from USA
54 views By Vijay, TrackAlerts.com
Kingston – Jamaica’s former 400m Champion, Lansford Spence, had his United States of America (USA) visa cancelled and was removed from that country on Sunday.
According to information reaching TrackAlerts.com, Spence, who returned to the United States on Saturday from Barcelona, Spain, was nabbed by US immigration and held overnight. Spence, who was training in Auburn with Bahamian coach Henry Rolle, was then processed and escorted to the aircraft.
"He was deported because he overstayed his time in the United States," a highly placed TrackAlerts.com source said. "He was traveling on a student visa although he had left school over a year ago."
When contacted, Spence, a ‘member’ of Jamaica’s team to the World Championships in Berlin next month, confirmed his forced return to Jamaica, but said it was not deported.
"It was not deported, it was removal," he said. "They held unto me for a day," he also confirmed.
He explained the situation: "When I came from Olympics I went in with a F1 because I was on a working permit, because I had applied and got my OP card … And they said I was working for a while and stopped. I was working for a while, but because training was hard I stopped
"Then I leave in May to go to St Marten and went back on my 10-year visa and it was no problem, then again I leave in June for Trials, again there was no problem".
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He said the problem occured when he returned from Spain as news had already broken that he was tested positive. "I flew through to South Carolina they told me I am not authorized in the States, I asked why and they said I overstayed on my stuff” (working visa).
"I called Homeland and they said it wasn’t going to be a problem once I have a valid visa coming back to the States and that is why I travelled May and June.
"They gave me some papers to go back to the Embassy and re-apply through waivers. I don’t know what that means. That is all the information they gave me".
It was Spence’s second bad news in a few days. He was informed last week that he had failed a drug test that was carried out at Jamaica’s National Championships on June 26-28. Spence will have to attend a hearing on Wednesday, after which his fate on the World Championships team will be known.
In 2005, Spence, then a student at Auburn University, rose to prominence in Jamaica when he won the National 400m title in 44.77 secs, a personal best. He then went on to capture the Central American and Caribbean Championships 400m title in the Bahamas, running 45.29 out of lane one.
Spence, 26, along with Sanjay Ayre, Brandon Simpson and Davian Clarke, won a bronze medal at the 2005 World Athletics Championships in Helsinki, Finland. He also competed in the individual contest, but was knocked out in the semi finals.
In 2006 the relay team won another bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games.
54 views By Vijay, TrackAlerts.com
Kingston – Jamaica’s former 400m Champion, Lansford Spence, had his United States of America (USA) visa cancelled and was removed from that country on Sunday.
According to information reaching TrackAlerts.com, Spence, who returned to the United States on Saturday from Barcelona, Spain, was nabbed by US immigration and held overnight. Spence, who was training in Auburn with Bahamian coach Henry Rolle, was then processed and escorted to the aircraft."He was deported because he overstayed his time in the United States," a highly placed TrackAlerts.com source said. "He was traveling on a student visa although he had left school over a year ago."
When contacted, Spence, a ‘member’ of Jamaica’s team to the World Championships in Berlin next month, confirmed his forced return to Jamaica, but said it was not deported.
"It was not deported, it was removal," he said. "They held unto me for a day," he also confirmed.
He explained the situation: "When I came from Olympics I went in with a F1 because I was on a working permit, because I had applied and got my OP card … And they said I was working for a while and stopped. I was working for a while, but because training was hard I stopped
"Then I leave in May to go to St Marten and went back on my 10-year visa and it was no problem, then again I leave in June for Trials, again there was no problem".
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He said the problem occured when he returned from Spain as news had already broken that he was tested positive. "I flew through to South Carolina they told me I am not authorized in the States, I asked why and they said I overstayed on my stuff” (working visa).
"I called Homeland and they said it wasn’t going to be a problem once I have a valid visa coming back to the States and that is why I travelled May and June.
"They gave me some papers to go back to the Embassy and re-apply through waivers. I don’t know what that means. That is all the information they gave me".
It was Spence’s second bad news in a few days. He was informed last week that he had failed a drug test that was carried out at Jamaica’s National Championships on June 26-28. Spence will have to attend a hearing on Wednesday, after which his fate on the World Championships team will be known.
In 2005, Spence, then a student at Auburn University, rose to prominence in Jamaica when he won the National 400m title in 44.77 secs, a personal best. He then went on to capture the Central American and Caribbean Championships 400m title in the Bahamas, running 45.29 out of lane one.
Spence, 26, along with Sanjay Ayre, Brandon Simpson and Davian Clarke, won a bronze medal at the 2005 World Athletics Championships in Helsinki, Finland. He also competed in the individual contest, but was knocked out in the semi finals.
In 2006 the relay team won another bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games.
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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