VITAL THAT JADCO MAKES ‘FRIENDS’ WITH ATHLETES

As the Jamaica Anti Doping Commission sets about trying to right the wrongs that put Jamaica squarely under the global spotlight for all the wrong reasons late last year, it will also have to try to convince many local athletes that it intends to be their greatest ally in helping to protect them from running afoul of the World Anti-Doping Code.

A couple of the last six cases are about to conclude slowly but surely bringing an end to last year’s black eye. The JADCO will be hoping that this is an opportunity to start afresh and make the athletes their friends. Newly appointed Executive Director needs to set out  his mandate getting Jamaica’s athletes to see JADCO as an organization in their corner and not an entity to be feared.

And believe me, the athletes need JADCO in their corner. When one listened to the testimony from the athletes, especially the elite ones – Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson – two athletes who some elements of the English media have unfairly made the face of doping in late 2013 even though they tested positive for a stimulant – a picture is painted that did not speak to intent to cheat. What it spoke to were situations where athletes took a lot for granted. They got comfortable and relaxed their due diligence and got hurt.

There were several things that came out in testimony that were alarming. The method of checking what supplements are safe was inadequate, if only in hindsight. Toxicology reports are expensive and while the costs for emerging athletes might be prohibitive, certainly for athletes like Sherone and Asafa they are not. Maybe if they had communicated more and pooled resources they could have had Epiphany D1 tested and it would have saved them a lot less than they are spending now in attorney fees and loss of income but as they say everything is clearer in hindsight.

This is one area in which JADCO could help. Maybe a window could be created in the off season or at specific points during a season where new supplements are submitted to JADCO and they in turn have those supplements tested at a reduced cost. From those test results the commission would create a list of ‘safe’ supplements that the athletes could use as a reference. Whenever new supplements are introduced into an athlete’s regimen there would be a waiting period before they get clearance from JADCO. All the athletes who had intent to take these new supplements could then pool resources to offset the cost for the toxicology report.

That list of safe supplements would also help protect the athletes in circumstances when there is a chance that a particular batch might be tainted. It would show to whatever disciplinary panel they appeared before that they did take the necessary steps to ensure that they were taking clean supplements. All that would be required is to keep a few tablets or a portion of a new batch for testing in storage as a control sample.

I believe a measure like this is necessary because who are we fooling by telling the athletes that they should not take supplements? The risks are great, yes, but how many of us start our days by drinking a couple cups of coffee? Human beings are always looking for something to make them feel better. It’s what makes coffee such a popular drink, it’s why energy drinks are so addictive. It’s also why pharmacies thrive. Anything that makes us feel better eventually becomes a crutch. The last time I checked athletes are people too, so why would they be held to any higher standard? If a supplement is believed to provide an athlete with a better way to get stronger and to legally recover from those hard days of training, an athlete will take it whether they are eating right or not. And let’s be honest here, it’s not always possible to eat the way we want. The world is filled with fast-food joints. By comparison there are not that many health food  ones.

Another alarming revelation was how lax the athletes were when it came to remembering what supplements they were taking while filling our their declaration forms. A simple solution would be to make a list that they would take with them to meets. In the event that they are tested they could reach for that list to ensure they have an accurate record of what supplements they are taking. In this day of smart phones, carrying that list around should not be such a big deal.

In the meantime, JADCO can create an olive branch of sorts by making life a little easier for the athletes. They should be able to create a pocket-sized, athlete-friendly, accordion-style pamphlet with all the relevant information that athletes need; little reminders of what not to take, what to look out for to steer clear of trouble and a summary of the banned substances list. Each year that pamphlet would be updated and each athlete given a copy.

Mandatory anti-doping seminars is another way I believe should be part of the JADCO regime. There should be at least two each year held in the periods when the athletes are at home training and for those living overseas, they would be required to be present by Skype. Yes, it would be a pain in the butt for many athletes but if mandated by the JAAA and would be a requirement for representing the country, then I am sure the athletes would eventually come to appreciate the value of such seminars.

Over time our athletes would become experts at how to avoid the pitfalls of doping, especially if they are not keen on spending a ton of money defending themselves and having their lives exposed before a disciplinary panel.

Should JADCO make some of these things reality, our athletes would slowly but surely come to love them, depend on them and in so doing save their own reputations and that of the country they represent.