• Olympics

Wada to begin Jamaica probe on Monday

Jamaica's sprint stars like Usain Bolt could be excluded from Rio 2016 © AP

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Wada are sending three officials to Jamaica on Monday to investigate claims the island did not drug test its athletes sufficiently in the months leading up to London 2012.

On Tuesday, Wada president John Fahey condemned attempts by the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission to delay an inquiry until next year as "farcical" and "unacceptable". He warned that Jamaica face possible expulsion from the 2016 Olympics in Rio unless they bring their drug-testing programme up to international standards.

Jadco have come under fire in recent weeks with former chief Renee Anne Shirley claiming their drug-testing programme was highly inadequate. Shirley says Jadco carried out only one out-of-competition test in the five months building up to the Olympics, and that they never used a blood kit to test athletes while she was there. Shirley departed Jadco in February.

Herb Elliott, the chairman of Jadco, has confirmed Wada's visit will begin at the start of next week.

"Wada will be sending three officers to Jamaica next Monday and Tuesday," Elliott told Jamaica's Nationwide Radio station. Wada have not confirmed the report.

Wada received an invitation by Jamaica's Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller to investigate Shirley's allegations.

Jadco had said they could not accommodate Wada until January at the earliest, prompting Fahey to respond in The Telegraph: "The current position is unacceptable to Wada and we're not going to take it lying down."

Five Jamaican sprinters tested positive earlier this year, including Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson. Earlier this month Veronica Campbell-Brown escaped with just a public warning for a positive test.

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