KINGSTON
President of the Jamaica Olympic Association, Mike Fennel, says the country’s reputation in the international arena will suffer some degree of damage following reports of Olympic and World Championship medallist, Veronica Campbell-Brown’s failed drug test.
The seven-time Olympic medallist, who also has nine medals at the World Championships, tested positive for the prohibited substance Lasix, which also goes by the name Furosemide. She failed the drug test at the Jamaica International Invitational World Challenge meet on May 4.
“It will be a big blow because there are a lot of cynics out there who have felt that we have athletes who have not been adhering to the rules. That has not been the case, but I cannot speak specifically to this particular case until we have all the facts. What is quite clear is that there are a number of people who don’t wait on the facts and will all draw their own conclusions. All I can say to everyone is let’s get the facts first before we start drawing our conclusions.”
Campbell-Brown, who lives and trains in the United States, has been provisionally suspended after being notified of the Adverse Analytical Finding of her “A” sample by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association.
She is expected to miss the 14th IAAF World Championship in Moscow, Russia in August.
Lasix is a form of diuretic that promotes the production of urine and treats medical conditions, including high blood pressure and edema.
It is viewed as a masking agent by the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA).
Meanwhile, Natalie Neita Headley, the Minister without Portfolio with Responsibility for Sports, said the government is awaiting the outcome of due process by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF).
In a release on Saturday, she expressed confidence in the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO), saying the government continues to be proud of all Jamaican athletes.
“JADCO has a very robust testing programme in place and we are proud of our sporting history and tradition as a country, we continue to remain committed to preserving the integrity of the sport and will stand firmly with our athletes and encourage them to remain focus and disciplined going into these trials,” she said.