WADA says Jamaica ‘lost its way’ on drug testing for athletes

(Jamaica Gleaner) The head of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), John Fahey, says Jamaica has “lost its way” on drug testing for athletes.

His comments come after the country’s senior drug tester said recent failed tests might be the “tip of an iceberg”.

WADA president Fahey was also critical of the attitude towards drug testing in Kenya, which has also had a number of recent failed tests.

However, he admitted that there is no power whatsoever for WADA under its code to compel anyone to do certain things.

Concerns over Jamaica’s drugs testing regime were raised after former Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission executive director Renee Anne Shirley said the agency had conducted only one out-of-competition test in the six months leading up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Her revelation followed a series of positive tests for Jamaican athletes and resulted in WADA visiting the country at the end of October to assess its doping policies.

Former 100-metre world record holder Asafa Powell, three-time Olympic gold medallist Veronica Campbell-Brown and Olympic relay gold medallist Sherone Simpson are among six Jamaicans who have tested positive this year.

WADA officials are due to discuss their visit to Jamaica at an executive board meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, today and they could make a series of recommendations to improve the Caribbean island’s anti-doping policies.

One of those will be for Jamaica’s anti-doping team to be ‘mentored’ by a more successful agency.

Fahey told a news conference in Johannesburg that he was confident, from the discussions that took place in Jamaica, that there is a recognition in the country that the government has to do a whole lot better and the nation has to beef up its programme and skill set.