The following article was first published in the RJR News on Thursday 26th September, 2019.
You can read the entire article on their website HERE.
Double world Under-20 sprint champion Briana Williams. (jamaica-gleaner.com file photo)
It now appears that double World Under 20 sprint champion Briana Williams could afterall face the starter at the IAAF World Championships which gets underway in Doha, Qatar on Friday. This follows the ruling handed down by the Independent Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (IADP) which presided over her disciplinary hearing which ended on Tuesday.
In a release on Thursday afternoon, the IADP said Williams who tested positive for the banned diuretic hydrchlorothiazide at the Senior National Championships in June, has been reprimanded without any period of ineligibility. The panel said it found that the athlete has established no significant fault or negligence as she was given tablets by her gaurdian and had no intention to cheat in her in-competition sprint event on June 21.
However, the panel noted that Williams was in breach of article 2.1 of the 2015 Anti-Doping Rules as she had a specified substance in her body.
Williams’ coach Ato Boldon told RJR Sports: I’m satisfied that the panel came to the right decision based on the evidence and based on what the IAAF rules and the WADA code is. I wouldn’t want what Briana has endured at her age to happen to my worst enemy,” said Boldon who also confirmed that Williams will travel to Doha for the World Championships.
When contacted by RJR Sports on Thursday afternoon, Wiilliams’s representative Dr Emir Crowne said his co-counsel Matthew Gayle is responsible for doing interviews on the ruling. However, when Gayle was contacted by phone, he said he was travelling and could not speak.
JADCO’s attorney Ian Wilkinson QC, told RJR Sports that he could not comment officially on the ruling until the document announcing the ruling has been signed by all three members of the IADP and that he also had to speak with JADCO to get its feedback on the ruling. Thursday’s release from the IADP had only the signature of chairman Kent Gammon.
Excerpts from the IADP’s release:
On a consideration of all the facts and evidence the Independent Anti-Doping Panel finds as follows:
8.1 The Independent Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel is unanimously persuaded to the standard of proof on the evidence presented that the athlete, Miss Briana Williams, was in breach of article 2.1 of the 2015 Anti-Doping Rules as she had in her body a specified substance namely “Hydrochlorothiazide”.
8.2 The IADP finds that the athlete has established no significant fault or negligence as she was given tablets by her guardian and had no intention to chcat in her la-Competition sprint event on the 21″ June 2019. The IADP was referred to article 10.5.1.1 of the Anti Doping In Sport Rules and this is relied on in its findings.
8.3 In the circumstances of this case the athlete is reprimanded without any period of ineligibility.
8.4 The IADP recommends that the athlete undergoes another education programme on Anti-Doping In Sport Rules as soon as JADCO carries out same.
