Kingston, Jamaica: The Jamaica Anti Doping Commission (JADCO) has rejected claims by the former chief of the world anti doping agency (WADA), Dick Pound, who suggested that the country’s athletes are not being properly tested for drugs.
JADCO has strongly defended Jamaica’s anti-doping programme after Pound said on an international television station that Jamaican athletes belonged to a group that was difficult to test, reports CMC.
The international spotlight has fallen directly on Jamaican athletes after they dominated the sprint events at the London Olympics.
“There is no way that anyone could dare talk about JADCO being a third world organisation versus a first world organisation,” declared Winston Davidson, JADCO’s vice-chairman.
“As far as I am concerned we adhere to the same international standards and are as good or even better than those who call themselves first world.”
Usain Bolt stormed to victory in both the men’s 100 and 200 metres, with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce snatching gold in the women’s 100m as the Caribbean island consolidated its domination.
Pound, now a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said Jamaica should now expect more visits from drugs testers.
However, Davidson has insisted that nothing is wrong with JADCO’s anti-doping programme. “As such everything must be done that’s transparent and that can stand any kind of scrutiny or any rigour from any quarter at home and abroad,” he said.
Jamaica won a clean sweep in the men’s 200m, with Yohan Blake and Warren Weir winning silver and bronze behind Bolt.
“No, they are one of the groups that are hard to test, it is (hard) to get in and find them and so forth,” Pound said when asked whether he was happy with the way Jamaica tested its athletes.
“I think they can expect, with the extraordinary results that they have had, that they will be on everybody’s radar.”
More than 100 athletes were caught using banned substances in the months leading up to the Games following increased testing by national and international anti-doping agencies
WADA has indicated it has no concerns about the operations of Jamaica’s anti-doping authorities.
WADA said the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission was deemed compliant in the compliance report passed by WADA’s foundation board last November.
