Jamaican offical upset with continous testing of athletes
Published:Wednesday | August 13, 2008 | 1:21 PM
A top Jamaican Olympic team official says unusually frequent anti-doping tests are upsetting preparations of his athletes ahead of Friday’s opening races.
Head of Jamaica’s delegation Don Anderson says his athletes have already tested 32 times in seven days.
Anderson’s comment came one day after men’s 100-metre gold medal contender Asafa Powell complained he has been excessively tested.
Anderson further says repeated testing has distracted the runners and has gotten on their nerves.
Powell, who is part of a voluntary anti-doping programme, said yesterday that the number of tests upset him.
The International Association of Athletics Federations has dismissed the complaints, arguing it’s only logical that medal contenders undergo a lot of tests.