Need for Dialogue and Transparency for Jamaica Track & Field

Over the past several weeks, we have been inundated with information about Jamaica’s track athletes, athletes who have fallen afoul of rules against doping include Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson, whose samples at the 2013 Jamaican National Trials returned Adverse Analytical Findings (AAF).  These finding came after Veronica Campbell-Brown (VCB) A and B samples returned traces of a banned diuretic.  These results indicate that the drug testing processes are effective in catching drugs violators, and the Jamaica Anti-doping Commission (JADCo) should be commended.   However, an explosive article in Sports Illustrated (SI) written by Renee Anne Shirley, a former executive of JADCo, outlined numerous shortcomings at JADCo. Shirley spoke of inadequate staffing, no financial statements for five years and inefficiencies in JADCo account payable process.  Shirley also pointed out the need to have JADCo fully-staffed with “…the Doping Control/ Technical Services and Education/ Communications…” directors. These are indeed legitimate concerns and requirements for operating a world class organization, hence the need for more transparency. In recent years, Jamaican sprinters including Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, VCB and Powell have dominated the shorts sprints at all major competitions, including the Olympics and World Championships. Jamaica has emerged as the powerhouse of world sprinting and with this notoriety and attention come influence and power. And with great power comes great responsibility. The fact is, the little island of Jamaica with a population of fewer than 3.0 million has become the darling of sprinting and numerous countries are anxious to adopt the Jamaican success model. But with this power, the Jamaican athletes, administrators, coaches, track policies and procedures are now under closer scrutiny. This is where the Shirley article is very relevant. The policies in place are effective in catching drugs violators as evidenced by the 6 AAF dope detections in the past several months. Shirley’s article, aside from whatever her motives are, has outlined the need for more dialogue and transparency. Now is the time to implement policies and procedures that would circumvent potential embarrassment.  The JADCo should be fully-staffed with properly-trained individuals. There should be policies of full disclosure in regards to testing, funding and personnel changes. The Education/Communication director should be a resource for both the athlete as well as the general public. All athletes should take an exam online (or in person) that addresses  the rules and regulations regarding doping. There should be policies of due process that should address athletes’ violations in a quick and expeditious manner. If there is transparency, then there is no need for closed-door secret meetings that only serve to attract more suspicion. Jamaica athletes deserve to have a world-class testing organization. Let’s make the Jamaican testing model the standard that other countries would be willing to adopt.     The Professor host the Sports Zone with  the Professor Show every Tuesday evenings from 8.00pm to 10.00 pm EST on www.Caribbeanzoneradiohd.com. The show is streamed live over the internet. The Professor can be reached at trackledger@hotmail.com   Like us on  Facebook Follow us on Twitter