jul.31.2008
By Matt Slater (www.bbc.co.uk)
A member of Jamaica's athletics team for the Beijing Games has tested positive for a banned substance, the island's Olympic boss has confirmed.
Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) chief Mike Fennell said the test occurred at the national trials on 27-29 June.
Fennell has refused to identify the athlete but insisted that it was "not a big name".
"That said, it is still a major blow for us and we take this very seriously," he said.
"I have instructed that the athlete in question be withdrawn from the team. He will not compete at the Olympics."
The test was conducted by an anti-doping unit working in conjunction with world athletics' governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), in the Jamaican capital, Kingston.
Fennell told BBC Sport he had received verbal confirmation of the positive test from the Monaco-based IAAF but was waiting to see it "in black and white" before he released a press statement to the local media.
"Every member of our team [for the Beijing Olympics] has been selected because of their performances on the track, so we're really disappointed that somebody has gone down this path," he added.
The Caribbean island, which has a long and proud tradition of punching above its weight on the track, has emerged as an athletics superpower in recent years.
This season has already witnessed Usain Bolt take the world 100m record from compatriot Asafa Powell, and both men are expected to lead a potent Jamaican medal challenge when the Games begin in China on 8 August.
But the timing of this positive test will cause embarrassment in Jamaica as the country's anti-doping efforts have been under scrutiny for some time.
Despite repeated promises over the last five years, Jamaica still has not set up a fully operational anti-doping agency of its own. It has also opted out of the Caribbean-wide regional anti-doping organisation which has been set up and championed by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
This has meant the Jamaican authorities have been forced to rely on the IAAF to police their track stars.
It is perhaps ironic then that news of this test broke two days after the Jamaican senate finally passed the legislation needed to set up the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission.
During the debate last week, senator Don Wehby praised the country's athletes for their performances and rebuked "misguided and poorly informed commentators" who have criticised Jamaica for not doing enough in the fight against drugs in sport.