Tests confirm five Jamaican athletes used banned substances

Duplicate tests have confirmed that five Jamaican athletes -- including marquee sprinters Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson -- were caught with banned substances in their systems.

The Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission said the athletes’ second samples were tested at a Montreal lab accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency, the Associated Press reported.

The test results made headlines in August when Powell and Simpson withdrew from the world track and field championships in Moscow. Powell’s absence robbed fans of an anticipated showdown with eventual champion Usain Bolt.

All five of the Jamaican athletes failed tests at their national championships last June. Powell and Simpson tested positive for the stimulant oxilofrine. Discus throwers Allison Randall and Travis Smikle, along with a junior athlete, also tested positive for prohibited substances.

Some of the athletes have said their physical trainer, Christopher Xuereb of Canada, gave them substances that prompted the positive results. Xuereb has suggested that he is being made a scapegoat.

Another Jamaican athlete -- six-time Olympic medalist Veronica Campbell-Brown -- had previously tested positive was awaiting adjudication on her case.

This summer, the Jamaican Anti-Doping Commission has come under pressure, with one of its former officials claiming the organization is not able to effectively police athletes.

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