The world’s greatest sprinters’ breeding island, Jamaica, which the legend Usain Bolt represents, does not always come clean when controversies around its anti-doping system fail on and off during major events. As Jamaica constructs its anti-doping stance, it abides by WADA’s regulation, which performs a time-to-time test by a commission of its own. The JAAA (Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association) has a high regulation standard, such as out-of-competition-testing, in-competition-testing, and annual reporting of the drug intake by the athletes, which were submitted to the global apex body, in compliance with the rules of World Athletics, formerly IAAF.

However, in 2013, one of the oldest newspapers in the Caribbean, The Gleaner, said that before the Summer Olympics started, the Commission hadn’t tested its athletes for an entire month. It prompted the WADA to probe Jamaica’s anti-doping stance. Before the report surfaced, one of the legends from track and field sports echoed the same.

Sports legend alleged failed anti-doping, but Usain Bolt trashed it

Way before the probing, in 2008, former track and field champion Carl Lewis, who won 9 medals in the sport, was unable to accept Jamaica’s standard procedure of anti-drug testing. He made his accusation two months after, in August 2008, Jamaica’s Anti-doping Commission was set up. Before establishing that commission, WADA’s regional center conducted doping tests for the island’s athletes. As Carl Lewis said, for a level playing field, Jamaica should have a random program, or their athletes could go without testing for months.

After Carl publicly made the allegation, reporters asked Usain Bolt about his reaction. He didn’t really know Carl Lewis then. Later, in a press meet, perturbed by the allegation, Usain Bolt refuted it and said, “Carl Lewis, I have no respect for him. The things he says about the track athletes is really downgrading. I think he’s just looking for attention really because nobody really talks much about him … It was really sad for me when I heard the other day what he was saying.” Jamaica’s Anti-Doping Commission tests its athletes before any major events. They examine an athlete five times a day for forty weeks. Also, surprise tests come unannounced to those stacked players. This fact is indeed uttered by Usain Bolt in his autobiography “Usain Bolt: Faster than Lightning.”

Jamaica’s anti-doping faced investigation

In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Usain Bolt made history with a world record with his 100-meter running. He broke the tape in just 9.69 seconds. His coach was not pleased because if his running hadn’t been slowed for a short time, he would have broken his time of 19.19 seconds. Also, Bolt crushed the other competitors in 200-meter and 4X100-meter relays with his teammates.

Despite achieving greatness through personal and team efforts, Usain Bolt’s stance on Jamaica’s anti-doping operations could not prevent the launch of an investigation by WADA. Following The Gleaner report and its findings, the investigation uncovered a significant failure to adhere to testing regulations for athletes. This lapse was identified in 2012, during which several months passed without any anti-doping tests being conducted. Additionally, in connection with illegal substance use, Tyson Gay, who won silver in the 4x100m relay, was stripped of his achievement in 2014. However, despite these troubling incidents, it is worth noting that the prominent athletes were rigorously tested during every major event by the top anti-doping authorities.