KINGSTON – Veronica Campbell-Brown and Yohan Blake, two of Jamaica’s premier Olympians, will miss the country’s National Trials this weekend.
Campbell-Brown, a two-time Olympic 200m gold medalist tested positive for a diuretic (considered masking agents for performance-enhancing drugs), voluntarily withdrew from competition following her B sample result and was provisionally suspended today by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) pending the outcome of a disciplinary panel to be set up to hear her case.
In a release today, Campbell-Brown’s management broke its silence since news surfaced about the violation, noting that she has apologized “wholeheartedly” to her family, Jamaica, her sponsors and the world athletics family for any embarrassment and or hurt this news has caused. She also described this [time] as a dark period but noted that she will vigorously try to clear her name.
“She remains an ardent believer in the purity of competition, the beauty of the sport and resolute in the fact that unearned suffering has redemptive qualities,” the release further stated.
Meanwhile, speculations are rife in Jamaica that Campbell-Brown, who was tested at the May 4 Invitational in Kingston, had declared using a cream to treat a leg injury ahead of her positive drug test. Unconfirmed reports also suggest that the label on the content of the product did not reveal the banned properties. However, it is also said that there was no Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) facility in place, which allows athletes to use certain banned substances for medical conditions.
In any case, she still has to face a hearing as athletes are held responsible for the presence of prohibited substances in their system.
Statement from Manager
There are two things that are unmistakable about Veronica Campbell-Brown. On one hand she has had good success on the track and on the other she has always stood for and carried herself with dignity. That she should now be accused of infringing on anti-doping rules is a shock to her, her loyal supporters and many others in not just sports but also the other spheres into which she has extended herself to help.
Veronica is not a cheat, she has via hard work and dedication accomplished a record on the track which is absolutely remarkable. Her faith which rest not in device or creed will see her through this dark period.
Due to her determination to vigorously pursue the clearing of her name, she will desist from being vocal suffice it to say, while not accepting guilt of willfully taking a banned substance, she wholeheartedly apologizes to her family, Jamaica, her sponsors, the governing body, the world athletics family, her supporters as well as those she worked with in various non-athletic causes for any embarrassment and or hurt this devastating news has caused.
She remains an ardent believer in the purity of competition, the beauty of the sport and resolute in the fact that unearned suffering has redemptive qualities.
BLAKE NOT FIT ENOUGH
Yohan Blake, the 2011 World 100m champion, will not compete at Trials, his manager Cubie Seegobin said today. Blake already qualified for the 100m at this summer’s World Championship Games in Moscow through the automatic entry status afforded to defending champions from the 2011 Championships. However, the athlete sustained a hamstring injury in April, which has affected his training and taken him out of competition leading up to Trials.
Following Blake’s injury, Seegobin noted that the athlete’s next outing would be at the Trials, where he would run only to qualify for the 200m. However, he has run once recently since then but has not made enough progress in fitness.
Blake’s withdrawal means that he will only defend his 100m title and will not contest the 200m in Moscow.