Olympic medallist Simpson's dope hearing deferred to next month

Kingston (Jamaica), Jan 10 (IANS/CMC) A hearing into dope allegations against Olympic 100m silver medallist Sherone Simpson is set to continue early next month.

The Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) disciplinary panel could not conclude the hearing within the two-day schedule and has set Feb 4 and 5 as new dates for conclusion.

The decision to schedule another two days follows two scheduled sittings at the Jamaica Conference Centre this week.

A key JADCO witness, Paul Wright, was not available, plus a report from the Informed Choice lab in Kentucky -- that the defence claims proved that the Epiphany D1 supplement contains the banned substance oxilofrine -- was still to be delivered to the panel.

"Emotionally I am broken down," declared Simpson Thursday.

"It is hard for me to trust even my family. If I am given anything I even question my mother. After the test I found out that oxilofrine can come from even sour orange."

Simpson's former teammate Asafa Powell, who also faces the panel next week for a similar doping violation, testified Wednesday for 10 minutes.

He said he never knew Simpson was also taking the Epiphany D1 supplement provided by Canadian physical trainer Chris Xuereg.

"Did you recommend this to your friend Sherone," asked Jephthah Ford, a member of the JADCO disciplinary panel.

"No, I didn't," replied Powell.

Ford continued: "How did you become aware that Chris bought similar supplements for Sherone?"

"This was after the positive test, we sat in my room and started talking because we wanted to find out what happened and that's when I realised that she was taking the supplement," said Powell.

The hearing is being presided over by a three-member panel, headed by attorney-at-law and vice-chairman of the JADCO disciplinary panel, Lennox Gayle, and completed by physician Jephthah Ford and former FIFA referee Peter Prendergast.

--IANS/CMC

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