BOLT TO COMPETE AT IAAF / BTC WORLD RELAYS, BAHAMAS 2015

The world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, will compete at the IAAF / BTC World Relays, Bahamas 2015, the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) announced on Tuesday (7).

The second edition of this innovative and exciting competition takes place in Nassau, The Bahamas on the weekend of 2-3 May.

The JAAA met on Tuesday to decide the national team for the competition and selected the multiple world and Olympic champion, and world record holder, to compete on both days in Nassau.

“I’m happy to be part of the Jamaican team for the IAAF / BTC World Relays in the Bahamas. I am fit, healthy and ready to run,” commented Bolt.

“I hear the meet was a lot of fun last year and there was a great atmosphere. Jamaica has a long and successful tradition in relays and when we put on the national colours we always do our best to make the country proud,” he added.

Usian Bolt leading team home in the 4x100m at the London Diamond League
photo credit Hilts uk
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hilts_uk/9384631902/in/photolist-fihG7j-cPD4TJ-apGEPP-d891vh-d877Nu-ooKEg6-fic8QE-oifS91-cQ3mC9-oigD24-oifSzm-d9bqYC-ficdfL-fhWWAR-oiggSw-oztZn8-ozxGHG-ozu31p-cQ3gPQ-cQ3d3y-fjV8sd-fjF4hP-oi4CdM-oi5dKk-oig9te-cPZ9Y3-d9brdw-oighSh-fhF3Jq-cQASyb-cQASkL-cQASNY-cQATa7-cQATkm-fhE5YN-cTEXy1-fjF7sF-ficdyQ-fhWWoa

JAAA General Secretary Garth Gayle commented, “We were extremely pleased that Usain was available for selection and that the world’s fastest man will be running for Jamaica. We can expect some sprint magic on the track in the Bahamas on 2nd and 3rd May.”

The full Jamaican team list for the competition will be announced shortly.

The IAAF / BTC World Relays is the newest addition to the IAAF’s global competition programme, and will see more than 600 athletes from around the world compete in five relay disciplines: 4x100m, 4x200m, 4x400m, 4x800m and the distance medley relay for both men and women.

At the IAAF World Relays in 2014, three world records were set and more could fall this year.

The IAAF World Relays is the biggest sporting event to be held in The Bahamas in 2015 and it will serve as a qualifying competition for the 2016 Olympic Games.

IAAF

CAS CLEARS JAMAICA’S VERONICA CAMPBELL-BROWN CLEARED OF ANY ANTI- DOPING RULE VIOLATION

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has issued its decision in an urgent arbitration brought by the Jamaican sprinter Veronica Campbell-Brown against the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

The CAS has upheld the appeal filed by Veronica Campbell- Brown and has set aside the decisions of the Doping Review Board of the International Association of Athletics Federations dated 10 February 2014 and of the Jamaica Athletics Administration Association dated 12 February 2014.

On 4 May 2013, the athlete underwent a doping control at the Jamaica Invitation Meet which returned a positive result for the specified substance hydrochlorothiazide.

Ms Campbell-Brown accepted a provisional suspension from 16 June 2013 while the investigations were taking place. In October 2013, the JAAA Disciplinary Panel recommended that Ms Campbell-Brown be sanctioned with a reprimand and public warning.

The file was subsequently passed to the IAAF Doping Review Board which declared that the athlete’s provisional suspension would remain in place pending its determination.

On 10 February 2014, the IAAF Review Board issued its directions to the JAAA Disciplinary Panel, recommending that a two-year suspension be imposed on the athlete.

On 12 February 2014, the JAAA Disciplinary Panel issued its final decision in this matter, confirming the two-year suspension.

The same day, Ms Campbell-Brown filed her appeal to the CAS requesting that the decisions taken by the IAAF Doping Review Board and the JAAA Disciplinary Panel be set aside, arguing that there was no valid or admissible evidence upon which to find that she had committed an anti-doping rule violation and that accordingly, no consequences could be imposed on her.

The athlete argued that the WADA International Standards for Testing (IST) have been violated during the course of the sample collection process, thus compromising the integrity of the urine sample collected.

Veronica Campbell-Brown requested an expedited procedure in order for a decision to be issued in time for her to register for the 2014 IAAF Indoor Championships, should she succeed in her appeal.

The IAAF and JAAA agreed to such request and a hearing was held on Friday, 21 February 2014 before the panel of CAS arbitrators appointed to decide the dispute

(Mr Philippe Sands QC, United Kingdom (President), Mr Jeffrey G. Benz, USA, and the Hon. Michael J. Beloff QC, United Kingdom).

At the request of the parties, the arbitration procedure has been kept confidential.

The full arbitral award, with the grounds for the Panel’s decision, will be issued to the parties in a few weeks.