Above: Jamaica’s Independence Park

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Pre-trial dates have been set for five Jamaican athletes reported to have failed drug tests, according to a government statement.

The athletes, who include former Olympians Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson, were reported to have failed the drug tests at the National Senior and Junior championships in June in Jamaica.

Also among the athletes are discus-throwers Traves Smikle and Allison Randall and triple jumper Demar Robinson.

With the exception of Randall, four of the athletes met with members of a Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission Disciplinary Panel during a disciplinary hearing on Friday at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston.

“The pre-trial is really where certain orders will be made for documentation and other things and then a (disciplinary) hearing date will be agreed on (for each athlete) on that day,” said Kent Pantry, chairman of the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel.

The Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission said “B” samples had confirmed the positive tests for all five athletes.