Canada’s Globe and Mail recently ran a piece documenting the (IAAF) International Association of Athletics Federation’s firm come down on Jamaica during the past years’ testing on doping.

According to reports, the IAAF is happy to see Jamaica’s athletes doing fast times – so long as they’re not doing it on banned drugs. Early last week, the little Caribbean nation of Jamaica was listed as one of the five most tested nations in the International Association of Athletics Federation figures for out of competition testing released by the federation’s head yesterday in its head office in Monte Carlo.

Jamaican athletes dominated the 2008 Beijing Olympics with 11 medals – six gold, in distances of a lap of less. They were led by world record holder for 100 – and 200 – meter times sprinter Usain Bolt who set or shared in four of the world’s records last season and had won a series of races in Europe and is one of the most tested athletes in the world.

The IAFF obviously is targeting Jamaica apparently due in part to its phenomenal success in the track program. When met with cynicism over the nation’s dominance in sprints, team officials and most especially team doctor Herb Elliot, adamantly claims that the upsurge was not due to doping and simply said that it was due to some other factors. A member of the IAAF anti-doping commission, Elliot said that the Jamaican government is putting more money on the Jamaican college sport programs so that lesser athletes will be lured by US scholarship offers and become burnt out by running too many meets for the US schools.

Jamaica also have a history of fast sprinters – Linford Christie, Ben Johnson and Donovan Bailey are also born in Jamaica and each one has a brief claim to Olympic titles. There is also a sturdy competitive youth program finishing in the school boys and girls championships. And due to the compact nature of the island nation, the best meet and push one other frequently. Poverty has also an upside in the development of young Jamaican athletes as they train to be athletes on grass tracks rather than those sophisticated surfaces of hard rubber or asphalt. Kids are less likely to have injuries on ankle and knee joints.

Jamaica is one of the top five tested nations for the 2008 Olympic season as well as four other expected names – Belarus, China, United States and Russia.

But how many Jamaican athletes has been tested positive for doping? And what about the number of doped in other countries? The IAAF has started targeting competitors for the World Games of 2009. But the question still remains – is Jamaica unduly besieged for doping control?

Lamine Diack, president of the IAAF claims that attention has now been transferred to the nations joining this summer’s 2009 world championship in Berlin. He also said that they are aware that cheats do not rest and that neither will the IAAF.

Diack also added that the IAAF doping control program for Berlin will be the largest yet in place. They are said to have increased intelligent testing in the out of competition period leading to the championship, then better testing during the championship itself and that they will store samples after the event for future analysis.

The IAAF plans to have over 1000 blood samples and urine doping controls during the competition. This is an increase n the 700 tests made on track and field competitors during the Beijing Olympics. IAAF will also start the implementation of the Biological Passport for both blood and urine in August.

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