Asafa Powell doping hearing adjourned

The Jamaican anti-doping hearing into former world 100-metre champion Asafa Powell's positive drug test has been adjourned for four weeks.

Asafa Powell's manager told a Jamaican anti-doping hearing on Wednesday that the man they hired to treat the former world 100-metre champion was not a certified physical therapist.

Powell, 31, tested positive at the Jamaican national championships in June for the banned stimulant oxilofrine.

The sprinter is blaming Chris Xuereb, saying the newly hired physical therapist gave him the nutritional supplements that resulted in the positive test.

Powell told the three-member Jamaican Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) panel on Tuesday that he did not list all the supplements he was taking on his declaration form before the event because he was too excited and couldn't remember their names.

The hearing was adjourned until February 12, when the panel expects to hear from more witnesses over two days.

Speaking on the second day of the hearing, Powell's manager Paul Doyle said they hired Xuereb because the Canadian was highly recommended by chiropractor Carmine Stillo. Doyle did not do any background checks on Xuereb.

Under cross-examination from JADCO lawyer Lackston Robinson, Doyle said although Xuereb was not certified, he still qualified as a physiotherapist.

Doyle told the panel he had wanted a physiotherapist on short notice to work full time with Powell.

Doyle said he did not know if Xuereb was a qualified therapist.

Powell's training partner Sherone Simpson also tested positive for the same stimulant.

Xuereb denies giving Powell supplements that led to the positive test and said earlier that he and Simpson are "looking for a scapegoat".

Powell, one of Jamaica's greatest sprinters, set a world record in the 100m in 2008 with a time of 9.74 seconds.


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Source: AAP


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