Jamaica’s sprint team are facing doping claims over clenbuterol

Jamaica’s sprinters have been accused of having small traces of banned substance clenbuterol present in samples given at the 2008 Olympic Games.

ARD, the German broadcaster which lifted the lid on the Russian doping scandal, said traces of the banned substance were found in “several samples from the 2008 Jamaican Olympics team”, including their sprinting team.

It said that both the International Olympic Committee and World Anti-Doping Agency were aware of the findings. “Several sources have now verified that the IOC were aware of the explosive findings from the Jamaicans but declined to pursue them further and instead have stopped the investigations,” ARD said in its report.

Meanwhile, WADA director general Olivier Niggli said: “I am aware of the fact that [in some] cases from Jamaica, some very low levels of clenbuterol were found.”

The IOC told ARD the findings had not been disclosed because the traces were so small.