USADA chief says 'Lightning' Bolt 'constantly let down' by Jamaica's drugs policy

The chief executive of United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has said that Jamaican sprinting star Usain Bolt is suffering from his country's much-criticised drugs policy.

Bolt's fellow Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown tested positive for the specified substance hydrochlorothiazide last May, but she argued the urine sample collected had been compromised and saw a two-year ban overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

According to Sport24, Travis Tygart said that it is wrong that the multiple Olympic champion was constantly having to protest his innocence of drug-taking because of doubts over the reliability of Jamaica's anti-doping programme, adding that the process has repeatedly let him down.

Tygart further said that it is unfair on athletes like Bolt, who is the world record-holder at both the 100 and 200 metres, to constantly question their performances just because of an 'inspired unsubstantiated story', adding that the sprinter's position would be bolstered by a more robust anti-doping regime in his native Jamaica.

The report mentioned that Bolt's 9.58 seconds world-record time over 100 metres and his 19.19s 200m landmark have made him one of the most scrutinised athletes of all time, even though he has never tested positive for a banned substance.

However, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief executive David Howman is encouraged by Jamaica's changes to its testing procedure, saying that the country has done whatever was required to put their programme back into place.