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The beliefs behind the ‘hidden agenda’

On Monday, January 7, I was accused on national radio of having a “hidden agenda” and being happy when Jamaicans test positive for banned substances. All this came about as a result of an article that appeared in a Sunday newspaper under the headline “Calculation error saved Ottey”.
The article was written by Johan Linder and contained quotes from Christiane Ayote, professor and head of an accredited laboratory in Montreal. Ayotte is also a member of a group of experts who met after a decision to exonerate Merlene Ottey, who had tested positive for a banned performance enhancer after a track meet in Switzerland in July 1999.

A local sport radio station KLAS SPORTS FM89 had called me for a comment on the article. Also called for a comment was Dr. Herb Elliott a Jamaican physician and member of the IAAF Medical Panel.

What was interesting was the fact that Herb was a colleague and personal friend. Dr. Elliot postulated on the programme that the head of an IAAF accredited laboratory and established doping expert Christine Ayotte, had responded to a question from this reporter “WHITOUT CHECKING THE FACTS”.

I suppose that Dr. Elliott, who claimed on radio to be her friend, would very soon assist Dr. Ayotte in the nuances of “sensitive” interviews.

Specific gravity readings
The article quoted extensively from Dr. Ayotte, who revealed that at the arbitration hearing, evidence from Ottey’s expert, convinced the panel that a discrepancy in the results of the specific gravity readings of the A sample and her B sample (which are supposed to be the same ample of urine divided in two at the time of sampling but tested at two different times) were marked.

This difference was enough to cast doubt on the integrity of the sample and in the Arbitration Panel’s view, made the suspension of Ottey unfair, therefore completely exonerating her.

A group of experts meeting after the details of the arbitration hearing were revealed, discovered an error of calculation that resulted in the discrepancy mentioned above.

The panel of experts wrote to the IAAF pointing out the error and reiterated that Ottey was indeed guilty of a doping offence. The experts felt that notwithstanding the not-guilty verdict of the Arbitration Panel the public should be informed of the error.

The article also quoted Arne Ljungquist, who at the time was vice president of the IAAF, as agreeing with the findings of the expert panel but seemingly justified withholding this information from the public.

All this came out in the radio programme and as the questions from the panel became harder and harder, my friend and colleague inexplicably turned on me, as if I was the author of the article and the producer of the radio programme.

Incensed Doctor
Having been assured by the panel that I was a guest on the programme, just as he was, only seemed to incensed this Doctor.

His inability to explain why Jamaica has still not implemented a random drug testing programme in all sports, despite being a signatory to the WADA code brought forth a stutter about “Parliamentary counsel”.

Dr. Elliot’s venomous attack on my character was indeed surprising and odd.
Let me state for the record that I have no “hidden agenda”. I believe that performance enhancers in sport are detrimental to the whole idea of fair play in sport and I also believe that the use of these substances is harmful to the user as well.
I do believe that in order to rid the sport of this scourge, participants should be subject to regular and random “drug testing”. I believe that regular and random drug testing in all sport would go a long way in reducing the use of recreational drugs among our young and vulnerable population.
I further believe that any one caught in a drug test, should, if found guilty of an offence, face the same prescribed consequences regardless of national status or position in the sport played.
I still believe that even after his intemperate outburst, that Dr. Elliot believes similarly.
The main difference between us, is that Dr. Elliot is so immersed in the “politics” of international sport that he speaks constantly and well, while I ACT.

Change the status quo
Dr. Elliot is part of a group of sporting administrators and leaders who seem determined not to change the status quo. But as Barack Obama has shown so far in the United States of America Primaries, “change”, will come as a more sophisticated audience realise at last that the “emperor has on no clothes”.
It is fraught with danger to continue to believe that the present rash of information about the use of drugs in sport that had previously gone undetected or unknown to the public, will not involve Jamaicans.
I will remind readers that in a recent television interview on the BBC, convicted and disgraced head of the infamous BALCO Lab fingered nationals from two Caribbean nations as using, so far, undetectable performance enhancers. The local head of an international sporting organisation has assured me that no one should pay attention to the words of this nefarious character.
But I am Jamaican.
I pay serious attention to a Jamaican saying which goes something like this: “if fish from river bottom say shark down dey, then shark down dey”.

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