The following statement comes from Asafa Powell after the Jamaican former World record holder was informed of a positive drug test at the Jamaica National Championships last month.
Asafa Powell 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.
“My attitude towards doping regulations and testing is well-known and I willingly give samples whenever requested.
“This result has left me completely devastated in many respects.
“Professionally, this finding fully negates any possibility of me being apart of Jamaica’s contingent of athletes competing at the World Championships in Moscow later this summer.
“Personally, however, this result comes at a greater cost. I write this statement knowing fully that my family, friends, fans and country will be disappointed in this latest development.
“I am reeling from this genuinely surprising result. I am confident, however, that I will come out stronger and wiser and better prepared to deal with the twists and turns of being a professional athlete.
“I accept the consequences that come with this finding – after all there is only one Asafa Powell.
“My fault however is not cheating but instead not being more vigilant.
“I want to reiterate that in my entire career as an athlete I have never sought to enhance my performance with any substance. It is not a part of who I am or what I believe in.”
