Ryon Jones
The track and field world was left in shock yesterday following The Gleaner’s revelation that one of the most decorated athletes, Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown, had tested positive for a banned substance.
Campbell-Brown’s adverse analytical finding has been the talk of the athletic world, with many international athletes taking to the popular social-media platform Twitter to air their views and lend support to the athlete.
The Jamaica-born, United States 400m champion Sanya Richards-Ross was among those left in shock. “So hard for me to believe the news of VCB. She’s always been so talented! Really respect her as one of the greats,” said Richards-Ross as she added the hashtags #HeartBroken, #PrayItsNotTrue.
St Kitts and Nevis veteran runner, Kim Collins, came out in support of his fellow sprinter, sending her a tweet. “@VCampbellBrown my friend, we love you. Continue to hold your head high. This too, shall soon pass.”
16 OLYMPIC, WORLD MEDALS
Campbell-Brown, affectionately knows as VCB, hails from Trelawny, but is based in Florida. She has won 16 medals for Jamaica at the Olympic and World Championships levels.
A diuretic turned up in her A sample following testing carried out by an International Association of Athletics Federations-managed team during the Jamaica Invitational meet held at the National Stadium on May 4.
She was advised of the adverse analytical finding on June 3.
Diuretics are masking agents banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency because of their ability to hide the presence of performance-enhancing drugs in the system.
Two-time 200m World Championships bronze medallist, Wallace Spearmon Jr of the United States, is refusing to believe the sprint queen would take any such substance and remains resolute in support for her.
“I wake up to this … I know for a fact she wouldn’t do anything like that,” Spearmon posted on Twitter.
“I’m sticking with her until the end … VCB I got your back.”
West Indies cricket legend, Courtney Walsh, added his voice to the story which has turned the track-and-field world on its head, by reflecting on the number of sporting disappointments which have hit the region over the past week.
“Very tough week for Caribbean fans; Reggae boys loose, windes get duck worth out and VCB fail drug test reported! WOW,” Walsh tweeted.
ryon.jones@gleanerjm.com
Iternational stars lend support
Wallace Spearmon – I wake up to this … I know for a fact she wouldn’t do anything like that.
Sanya Richards-Ross – So hard for me to believe the news of VCB. She’s always been so talented! Really respect her as one of the greats.