Positive findings – naysayers’ paradise

KINGSTON, Jamaica - THE positive analytical findings involving two of our star athletes and three other young athletes have not only shocked the nation but have placed Jamaica under intense scrutiny as the supreme sprinting powerhouse in the world. The doubters are having a field day, ramping up the claim that our athletic domination in sprints is not based on anything else but chemistry and work done in the laboratory. While we do not subscribe to this view, the ammunition now at the disposal of the naysayers is potent.
This newspaper will not ascribe blame, preferring instead to wait on the process as due diligence runs its prescribed course. In the interim the talk of what happened, and who is responsible will continue to dominate discussions in the land. What, however, we find troubling, based on as yet only anecdotal evidence, is the possible involvement of athletes still in school. If indeed this is the case, then we are on a suicidal path. Jamaica takes pride in meets such as our annual Boys' and Girls' Championships, often promoting this event as the largest and most prestigious and quality driven school-based athletic meet in the world.