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Jamaica's anti-doping board resign over drug scandal

Asafa Powell is one of the Jamaican athletes who tested positive for prohibited substances © Getty Images

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The entire board of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) have resigned in the wake of the recent doping scandal that has rocked the nation.

Chairman Dr Herb Elliott is among those who have stepped down as JADCO attempt to restore the public's confidence in their organisation.

Six Jamaican athletes - including Veronica Campbell-Brown, Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson - tested positive for prohibited substances during 2013, while the country's most senior drug tester Dr Paul Wright claimed the findings could be just the "tip of the iceberg."

The situation came to light two months ago when former JADCO chief Renee Anne Shirley claimed the organisation had carried out just a single out-of-competition test in the six months leading up to the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The scandal forced the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to conduct a probe into Jamaica's doping regime amid claims their athletes were not being tested enough. WADA president John Fahey later warned Jamaican athletes could miss out on future Games if JADCO did not significantly improve their drug-testing programme.

"Quite recently, JADCO's commissioners met and acknowledged that there is a public perception of the existence of conflicts of interests among some of the members of the commission," Jamaican sports minister Natalie Neita-Headley said in a statement.

"The commissioners have taken a decision, in the national interest and in order to facilitate the restructuring of JADCO, to tender their resignations which will take effect on December 31, 2013. The prime minister respects the decision of the commissioners and has accepted their resignations."

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