Powell fails drugs test
Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell has failed a drugs test, his management company has confirmed.
Powell’s agent Paul Doyle confirmed in an email that the former 100 metres world record holder had tested positive for a banned substance.
Powell, 30, has won gold medals in the 4x100m relay at the Olympics and World Championships and held the world record before his compatriot Usain Bolt.
Powell has won gold medals in the 4x100m relay at the Olympics and World Championships and held the world record before his compatriot Usain Bolt.
He has run 9.88 seconds this year, but failed to make the Jamaican team for next month’s World Championships.
Powell insisted that he had taken the substance unknowingly.
He said: “I want to be clear in saying to my family, friends, and most of all my fans worldwide that I have never knowingly or wilfully taken any supplements or substances that break any rules.
“I am not now – nor have I ever been – a cheat.
“My team has launched an internal investigation and we are co-operating with the relevant agencies and law enforcement authorities to discover how the substance got in my system.
“I assure you we will find out how this substance passed out rigorous internal checks and balances and design systems to make sure it never happens again.”
