KINGSTON, Jamaica — The outstanding 42.58 seconds women’s U20 4x100m relay world record set by Jamaica at the recently concluded 2022 Carifta Games has been rejected by World Athletics.
According to a release by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) on Wednesday, only three of the four women were tested. Read more: Carifta Games 2022 results-FINALS ONLY: Day 2
The Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCo) revealed that world U20 champion over the 100m, Tina Clayton wasn’t tested and as a result, the record-breaking performance will not be ratified by the sport’s world governing body.
“At the recently concluded 49th staging of the Carifta Games held in Kingston Jamaica the winning Jamaican girls under twenty 4x100m relay team ran a world record time,” the JAAA release said.
“This performance along with the supporting documentation has been sent to World Athletics for ratification. It has since been pointed out to us that one of the athletes (Tina Clayton) was not tested on the night after the world record performance.”
The release added: “It is a fact that all 4 athletes were notified by the Jamaica Anti-doping Commission (JADCo) officials and presented themselves to the anti-doping station within the required time window to be tested.
“Unfortunately, JADCo took the decision, unknown to the JAAA and the NACAC’s Anti-Doping Delegate, not to test the athlete based on a JADCo standard. This was in direct contradiction to oral and written instructions by the JAAA.
“It is to be noted that JADCo is the agency that performs anti-doping testing on our athletes both in and out of competition on behalf of the JAAA and was contracted to do so at the NACAC 2022 Carifta Games.”
Meanwhile, Garth Gayle, the President of the JAAA admitted that everyone is “saddened by the situation” —indicating that his administration is planning to appeal the World Athletics decision.
“We are saddened by the situation that four young ladies would be denied the record,” Gayle was quoted as saying on SportsMax.
“The matter is still at a sensitive stage and we would have done the necessary appeals. We are still hopeful that the record will be ratified at a later stage,” Gayle added.
JADCO also released a statement on Wednesday explaining the circumstances under which all four members of the team were not tested.
“The event was won by the Jamaican team which was comprised of four female athletes. They completed the race with a world record of 42.58. Doping Control was conducted immediately on three of the female athletes,” the JADCO statement said.
“Since one of the athletes was already tested on the 16th of April 2022, a urine sample was not collected from this athlete on the 17th of April 2022.
“It is customary and in JADCO’s Best Practice in-competition, that if an athlete is tested today in-competition, the said athlete would not be tested the following day in-competition.”
