The Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) is to step up its education and testing programs following five athletes, including Olympic medalists Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson, testing positive for banned substances, the country’s prime minister said.
Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller, who is also the country’s minister for sports, added the country’s anti-doping body had uncovered 15 positive tests from 860 samples in the past four years.
Powell and Simpson said on Sunday they had tested positive for the stimulant Oxilofrine (methylsynephrine) at the Jamaican national championships last month.
Discus thrower Allison Randall said on Monday she had also tested positive at the championships.
All have denied knowingly taking banned substances.
“We [JADCO] intend to ramp up the public education program in the high schools and commence the sensitization programs at the primary-school level,” Simpson-Miller said in Jamaica’s parliament on Tuesday.
“We need to initiate a system for high-school level testing for athletes involved in training and competition in sport, in accordance with appropriate approvals from the Ministry of Education, ISSA [Inter-secondary School Sports Association], and the parents and guardians of these youngsters,” she said
Simpson-Miller said JADCO had notified the five athletes of their positive tests in writing last week.
One, a junior athlete, is yet to confirm the notification of the doping violation.
She said all five atheletes had until tomorrow to indicate whether they want their “B” samples tested, though one had already said they would like the second sample analyzed.
Powell and Simpson’s agent Paul Doyle confirmed earlier this week that his two clients would ask for their “B” samples to be tested.
The commission could also ask for the “B” sample to be analyzed, Simpson-Miller added.
The US’ bid for a fourth consecutive CONCACAF Nations League title came to a stunning end as they fell 1-0 to Panama after a stoppage-time goal from Cecilio Waterman on Thursday in Inglewood, California. Despite dominating possession, the US struggled to break down a resilient Panama side for long periods. Panama spent the bulk of the match defending, but pounced on a giveaway by the US before substitute forward Waterman sent a shot from the right side of the area to the bottom left corner late in stoppage time. Up next for Panama in tomorrow’s final is to be Mexico, who beat
DOMINATION: McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris took the first two spots as Mercedes’ George Russell and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen followed them Australian Oscar Piastri yesterday roared back from season-opening disappointment in his home race by winning the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix from pole position in a McLaren one-two with championship-leading teammate Lando Norris. George Russell finished third for Mercedes, ahead of Red Bull’s reigning champion Max Verstappen with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Saturday’s sprint winner Lewis Hamilton fifth and sixth respectively. Piastri’s win denied Norris a third victory in a row, including last year’s Abu Dhabi season-ender, but left champions McLaren unbeaten in two races so far this year. “Mega job guys. The car was very, very lovely,” Piastri said
TO FINAL FOUR: France had 22 chances and scored two goals, while Croatia could not manage a single shot on target in 120 minutes. Les Bleus won 5-4 on penalties France on Sunday overturned a two-goal deficit to qualify for the UEFA Nations League Final Four by eliminating Croatia 5-4 on penalties after a 2-0 victory in their quarter-final second leg at the Stade de France. Dayot Upamecano scored the winning spot kick in a nail-biting shootout in which France keeper Mike Maignan made two saves, sending Les Bleus into the semi-finals against Spain. Michael Olise opened the scoring and Ousmane Dembele doubled their lead 10 minutes from time to send the tie into extra time after their 2-0 loss in Split, Croatia, on Thursday. France had a total of
Armand Duplantis will be among the reigning Olympic champions adding star power to the world indoor championships this weekend when the Chinese city of Nanjing hosts the first major global athletics meet since the Paris Games last year. The three-day event was originally slated for 2020 and faced multiple postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Nanjing’s Sports Training Center would finally welcome more than 570 athletes for the start of the showpiece today. One of the main attractions would be pole vaulter “Mondo” Duplantis, who soared 6.27m to break the world record for a staggering 11th time in Clermont-Ferrand last
RSS