By Kayon Raynor
RJR Sports can now report that Olympic and World Championship medallist Veronica Campbell-Brown is the athlete who failed a drug test at the Jamaica International Invitational World Challenge meet on May 4.
Confirmation came just over 24 hours after this media house broke the news of the doping violation.
The seven-time Olympic medallist, who also has nine medals at the World Championships, tested positive for a diuretic.
Campbell Brown, who lives and trains in the United States has been provisionally suspended as per IAAF rules after being notified of the Adverse Analytical Finding of her “A” sample by the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association.
She is expected to miss the 14th IAAF World Championship in Moscow, Russia in August.
The diuretic promotes the production of urine and treats medical conditions, including high blood pressure and edema. It is viewed as a masking agent by the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA).
It is understood that the Campbell-Brown, who was advised of the adverse finding last week, had the “B” sample tested at the WADA-accredited laboratory in Montreal, Canada on Thursday, which returned positive.
Efforts to contact the athlete’s agent by phone and text messages were unsuccessful up to press time.
President of the JAAA Dr Warren Blake did not return calls and text messages to his cellphone by RJR Sports on Friday to confirm that the “B” sample was positive.
On Thursday, Blake denied knowledge of a doping violation by a Jamaican athlete.
“We have not gotten any notification of a positive test from the Jamaica International Invitational Meet,"said by telephone.
Chairman of the Jamaica Anti-doping Commission Dr Herbert Elliott also denied being notified of an adverse analytical finding from the meet on Thursday.
Jamaica’s two major track and field clubs --- MVP and Racers --- have distanced themselves from this latest anti-doping violation.
The MVP Club, which is home to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Asafa Powell, tweeted Thursday evening: “No adverse analytical findings at MVP Track & Field Club.”
When RJR Sports spoke with Glen Mills, the head of the Racers’ Track Club where Usain Bolt trains on Friday, he indicated they had received “no notification” of a doping violation.
The Racers’ Track Club also tweeted on Friday: “Every time a Jamaican athlete tests positive, all a wi shame; doesn't matter whether the person is local or overseas based, Racers or MVP.”
Furosemide is the same substance for which another Jamaican sprinter --- Steve Mullings --- received a life ban in 2011. It was his second doping violation, after serving two years for elevated levels of testosterone from 2004.
Only Thursday, another Jamaica --- 26-year-old quarter miler Dominique Blake --- received a six-year ban for her second doping violation since 2006.
This story was first published on Friday and Modified on Tuesday.
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