Athletics: Jamaican duo charged with anti-doping rule violation

[March 22, 2017]  By Kayon Raynor

KINGSTON (Reuters) - Commonwealth Games 400 meters hurdles champion Kaliese Spencer and world championship relay medalist Riker Hylton have been charged with breaching anti-doping rules, Jamaican athletics officials confirmed on Tuesday.

"We have been advised by JADCO (Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission) that athletes Kaliese Spencer and Riker Hylton have been referred to the Independent Anti Doping Disciplinary Panel for a hearing to be conducted in accordance with Article 8 of the JADCO Anti-doping Rules 2015," the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) said in a statement.

"Both athletes are alleged to have violated article 2.3 of the said rules which speaks to 'Evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection'."

Under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules, "evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection" is one of 10 possible ways that athletes or their support staff can be charged with an anti-doping doping rule violation.

The maximum penalty is a four-year suspension.

Jamaica's Spencer won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 and was also a world championship silver medalist in the 4x400m relay in Berlin in 2009.

She did not respond to Reuters' phone calls or text requests for comment.

Hylton, who won a 4x400m bronze at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, told Reuters on Tuesday that he had been notified of his provisional suspension by JADCO.

Kaliese Spencer of Jamaica Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Steven Paston 

He said the anti-doping body claimed he had declined to provide a sample for testing last year at the Stadium East field.

Hylton, however, said that he had not been properly informed that he had been selected for testing and only found out that he had been accused of declining to provide a sample after he had left the stadium.

"Honestly they (JADCO) never did their job properly because they were supposed to make the person know that you were selected to be drug tested and they did not let me know that," Hylton said.

JADCO has not responded to Reuters' requests for comment.

(Editing by Toby Davis)

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