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AFP
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
BERLIN, Germany (AFP) - Five Jamaican relay team members who tested positive during the national trials will be able to compete here at the world athletics championships after an appeals panel failed to meet as planned on Monday, IAAF general secretary Pierre Weiss said yesterday.
BLAKE... tested positive for stimulant in June
Weiss looked slightly perplexed as he had been assured last Friday by the Jamaican federation that the Jamaican Anti-Doping Commission's (JADCO) appeals panel would meet on Monday and give the IAAF their findings yesterday.
Instead the three-person panel are to meet at the end of the championships allowing the quintet to come to Berlin and compete in the relays later in the week - though if they are subsequently found guilty any medals won will be stripped from the Jamaican team.
"This is a difficult situation regarding the Jamaicans," said Weiss.
"We were told last Friday that the appeals panel would meet on Monday and we were expecting the information this morning. It is now 1630 (1430GMT) and we still don't have the information.
"Instead we have been informed that the panel will not meet until the end of the championships and I have learnt that only a few minutes ago.
"This I did not expect. We will have to meet with the Jamaican delegation."
Weiss said as the athletes were still in Jamaica he did not know whether they would turn up or not.
"I don't know whether they will compete or not," he said.
"They are, as far as I know, still in Jamaica. They have to confirm one day before the event the list of names, although for the relays the starting line-up can be changed on the day of the race."
However, Weiss said that should they compete there could be serious consequences for the relay teams.
"They are not suspended.
"They would be allowed to compete but the situation can change day by day.
"If the panel does not meet until the end of the championships we cannot suspend them.
"They (the Jamaicans) have two options. They can compete or not compete.
"If they compete and afterwards the JADCO appeals panel declares them guilty then we will have to alter the results.
"The decision is not in our hands."
Women's 4x100m relay runner Sheri-Ann Brooks, Yohan Blake, Marvin Anderson (both men's 4x100m relay), Lansford Spence and Allodin Fothergill (men's 4x400m) tested positive for the stimulant methylhexanamine at the end of June.
While Brooks was cleared because "of an irregularity in testing her B sample" the four others were absolved because of a disagreement over the exact status of methylhexanamine, which is not on the prohibited list.
After the athletes were cleared JADCO appealed this decision and sent the dossier to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and to the IAAF.
"We did not have any choice but to clear them because the substance does not appear on the banned products list of WADA," said Kent Gammon, president of the disciplinary commission of JADCO.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
BERLIN, Germany (AFP) - Five Jamaican relay team members who tested positive during the national trials will be able to compete here at the world athletics championships after an appeals panel failed to meet as planned on Monday, IAAF general secretary Pierre Weiss said yesterday.
BLAKE... tested positive for stimulant in JuneWeiss looked slightly perplexed as he had been assured last Friday by the Jamaican federation that the Jamaican Anti-Doping Commission's (JADCO) appeals panel would meet on Monday and give the IAAF their findings yesterday.
Instead the three-person panel are to meet at the end of the championships allowing the quintet to come to Berlin and compete in the relays later in the week - though if they are subsequently found guilty any medals won will be stripped from the Jamaican team.
"This is a difficult situation regarding the Jamaicans," said Weiss.
"We were told last Friday that the appeals panel would meet on Monday and we were expecting the information this morning. It is now 1630 (1430GMT) and we still don't have the information.
"Instead we have been informed that the panel will not meet until the end of the championships and I have learnt that only a few minutes ago.
"This I did not expect. We will have to meet with the Jamaican delegation."
Weiss said as the athletes were still in Jamaica he did not know whether they would turn up or not.
"I don't know whether they will compete or not," he said.
"They are, as far as I know, still in Jamaica. They have to confirm one day before the event the list of names, although for the relays the starting line-up can be changed on the day of the race."
However, Weiss said that should they compete there could be serious consequences for the relay teams.
"They are not suspended.
"They would be allowed to compete but the situation can change day by day.
"If the panel does not meet until the end of the championships we cannot suspend them.
"They (the Jamaicans) have two options. They can compete or not compete.
"If they compete and afterwards the JADCO appeals panel declares them guilty then we will have to alter the results.
"The decision is not in our hands."
Women's 4x100m relay runner Sheri-Ann Brooks, Yohan Blake, Marvin Anderson (both men's 4x100m relay), Lansford Spence and Allodin Fothergill (men's 4x400m) tested positive for the stimulant methylhexanamine at the end of June.
While Brooks was cleared because "of an irregularity in testing her B sample" the four others were absolved because of a disagreement over the exact status of methylhexanamine, which is not on the prohibited list.
After the athletes were cleared JADCO appealed this decision and sent the dossier to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and to the IAAF.
"We did not have any choice but to clear them because the substance does not appear on the banned products list of WADA," said Kent Gammon, president of the disciplinary commission of JADCO.
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