Jamaican duo charged with anti-doping rule violation

REUTERS: Commonwealth Games 400 metres hurdles champion Kaliese Spencer and world championship relay medallist Riker Hylton have been charged with breaching anti-doping rules, Jamaican athletics officials confirmed on Tuesday.

“We have been advised by JADCO (Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission) that athletes Kaliese Spencer and Riker Hylton have been referred to the Independent Anti Doping Disciplinary Panel for a hearing to be conducted in accordance with Article 8 of the JADCO Anti-doping Rules 2015,” the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) said in a statement.

“Both athletes are alleged to have violated article 2.3 of the said rules which speaks to ‘Evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection’.”

Under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules, “evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection” is one of 10 possible ways that athletes or their support staff can be charged with an anti-doping doping rule violation.

The maximum penalty is a four-year suspension.

Jamaica’s Spencer won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 and was also a world championship silver medallist in the 4x400m relay in Berlin in 2009.

She did not respond to Reuters’ phone calls or text requests for comment.