Athletes wait for verdicts

Four of the five Jamaican athletes who produced positive samples at their national trials in June are likely to hear their fate on Monday after their disciplinary hearings concluded yesterday.

The Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission’s (JADCO’s) disciplinary committee heard evidence from lawyers representing Yohan Blake, Marvin Anderson, Allodin Fothergill and Lansford Spence.

“The matter is completed. We’ve heard all the submissions and now we are going to be receiving the final summation from the counsel on all sides,” JADCO disciplinary chairman Kent Gammon told the Jamaica Observer.

“After we have received those submissions, we will make our final determination, which should be in the next 48 to maximum 72 hours.”

The committee have still not revealed what substance the athletes tested positive for, although it is understood in all cases to be a minor stimulant.

A fifth athlete, Sheri-Ann Brooks – the 2006 Commonwealth 100 metres gold medallist – was earlier cleared of the charges against her because of procedural errors in testing her ’B’ sample.

Gammon said: “We heard the matter in respect to Sheri-Ann Brooks and decided that, based on an irregularity with the testing of her ’B’ sample, we could not conclusively, beyond a comfortable doubt, determine the positive finding of the ’A’ sample.

“Based on that we were unable to impose any sanctions.”