The World Anti-Doping Agency may ban Jamaica from participating in the Olympics if the island country does not address issues raised by Renee Anne Shirley, the former director of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission.
Shirley recently raised concerns about a spate of recent positive doping test results involving five Jamaican athletes, including Asafa Powell. She worries that oversight is not adequate, and ignoring the problem could be disastrous.
“They [politicians and administrators] believe Jamaica does not have a problem,” Shirley told The Telegraph .
David Howman, the director of WADA, says that they try to work with national regulatory boards, such as JADC, to ensure compliance with the rules. If that does not work, his agency then has the option to ban the nation in question from participating in international sporting events.
Howman warns that non-compliance could lead to sanctions from the International Olympic Committee, as well as other sporting authorities.
If Jamaica is banned, that means that Jamaican athletes will not be able to participate in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
"WADA expects the concerns to be addressed urgently and appropriately," the agency said in a statement to The Baltimore Sun .