An expired Therapeutic Use Exemption certificate has caused Trinidad and Tobago long jumper Tyra Gittens to accept a six-month ban for the unintentional use of a prohibited substance. The ban took effect from September 26, 2022 and any results in competition since June 26, 2022, have been wiped from her record, which means she loses her results from the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon and Commonwealth Games in Birmingham England.
The ban has since expired which means she is now free to train and compete.
World Athletics’ Athletics Integrity United (AIU) ruled on Monday that the athlete was ineligible for a person of six months after a sample she provided in June 2022 was found to contain methylphenidate/ritalinic acid, a prohibited substance that is an ingredient of the medication she takes for ADHD.
However, at the time the sample was taken, Gittens’ Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) had expired. The AIU said it accepts that the athlete had not realized that her previous TUE had expired by the time that the first sample was taken at the national Trinidad and Tobago championships on June 26, 2022.
“She was not advised that the TTO Sample was positive for methylphenidate, or that her TUE had expired for this purpose, until November 2022, after the sample collected from her at the World Championships on July 23, 2022,” the AIU said adding that they also accept that Gittens had no information at the time of her second World Athletics sample that her TUE application was incomplete.
“The AIU also accepts that the medication was used for legitimate medical reasons and the athlete did not intend to cheat. Accordingly, the AIU accepts that the violation was not ‘intentional’.”
Gittens, who turned pro just last week, addressed the development on her Instagram on Monday stating that, “My Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for taking ADHD medication was not approved in time for the World Championships last summer, which caused me to test positive for methylphenidate.
“Even though I have taken the same medication for years and had the same TUE for the Tokyo Olympics, I did not complete the application correctly. To put this behind me, my team and I accepted a six-month suspension backdated to Sept(ember) 25, which means the period of ineligibility is already served, and I can proceed with my season. During that time, I learned so much more about myself, my priorities, and my goals.”
She also revealed that this was not the only challenge she had to face in the last year.
“The last year and a half was one of the most challenging times of my life. First my transfer, it was a huge leap of faith and it extremely last minute. It was complicated learning a new event, having a new coach, new training schedules, new programs, living in a new city, and being in a new environment,” she said.
“It was an extremely confusing and overwhelming time and it led me to not trust myself and it showed in my performance last year.
“Secondly, earlier that year I lost my grandmother to diabetes. In August my aunt lost her battle with breast cancer, two weeks later my last grandmother passed away. Losing those amazing women was extremely heartbreaking. They were fighters and even though it was tough moving on, their stories motivated me to continue my fight as well.”
She revealed that these trials have made her stronger and better prepared for anything that life will throw at her.
“I am a different woman because of last year’s trials and tribulations. It has made me stronger, more trusting of myself, happier, and more at peace with my reality,” she said.
“I’m so thankful for the people who were behind me during this extremely lonely time of my life. Now it’s time to get back to work and continue my journey of turning my dreams into reality.”
Leighton Levy is a journalist with 28 years’ experience covering crime, entertainment, and sports. He joined the staff at SportsMax.TV as a content editor two years ago and is enjoying the experience of developing sports content and new ideas. At SportsMax.tv he is pursuing his true passion - sports.
“The favourite is Thompson”-Boldon highlights Jamaican champion as man to beat in 100m in Paris
Trinidadian four-time Olympic medallist Ato Boldon has named Jamaican sprinting sensation Kishane Thompson as his favourite to take 100m gold at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Thompson, 23, is currently the world leader in the event after running a personal best 9.77 to win the 100m title at the JAAA/Puma National Senior Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston in June.
The MVP Track Club-trained sprinter also produced times of 9.82 and 9.84 in the heats and semi-finals, respectively, at those national championships and, most recently, ran 9.91 shutting down to win at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial in Hungary on July 9.
“Thompson is the favourite,” Boldon said in an interview with LetsRundotcom on YouTube on Friday.
“I know Noah (Lyles) is the World champion. I think Noah made it a little bit more interesting by running that 9.81 into a headwind which kind of almost converts to a 9.77 but there’s no way you can look at the way in which Thompson ran that 9.77 and just go ‘Oh Noah will beat him.’ Noah has his hands full with that guy,” Boldon said.
Blazing speed acknowledged, one thing that Thompson lacks that his other competitors don’t is experience competing at the highest level of the sport with this being his first time representing Jamaica at any level.
If there is anything to prevent Thompson from delivering on the form that he’s shown so far this season, Boldon believes that would be this lack of experience on a stage like the Olympic Games compared to his peers.
“There are things which I see people completely ignoring. Kishane Thompson has not been under the microscope of Olympic favourite. Rounds are a great equalizer. Noah has the medals that he does because of how well he runs rounds. Is Noah suddenly a lock for the silver? No but he does have his hands full,” he said.
“There are others who are going to be in the 100m that are used to the pressure and pressure is a big thing. If he’s able to pull this off, you write books about stuff like that,” he added.
Thompson's quest for Olympic glory will begin in the heats of the men's 100m beginning on Saturday' August 3.
Jamaica and France sign landmark MOU for bilateral sports cooperation
As the world eagerly anticipates the start of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Jamaica and France have marked the occasion with a significant step towards enhancing their bilateral relations in the field of sport. On July 24, the Honourable Olivia Grange, Jamaica's Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, and His Excellency Olivier Guyonvarch, the Ambassador of France in Jamaica, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Bilateral Cooperation in Sport.
Minister Grange highlighted the symbolic timing of the agreement, stating, “It is certainly significant that it is happening at the time of the 2024 Olympics in the French capital, Paris. It embodies the importance of sport in establishing cooperation and friendship between the two countries."
The agreement outlines several areas of cooperation aimed at enhancing both nations' sports capabilities. One key aspect of the MOU is the sharing of experiences and the development of joint initiatives in sports. This includes promoting common standards for organizing major sporting events and developing high sports performance through the exchange of best practices, coaching training, and research.
Additionally, the agreement focuses on boosting the sports economy and sports tourism in both countries by sharing valuable information and insights. A significant emphasis is also placed on promoting sports ethics, with both nations committing to collaborate in the fight against doping.
Minister Grange commended the diligent efforts of Ambassador Guyonvarch and the teams from both the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, in finalizing the MOU. She also referenced the ongoing friendship between Jamaica and France, demonstrated by events like the "2024 Road to Paris Olympics," which featured a symbolic relay baton passed globally and included French students from schools across Jamaica.
The MOU also aims to facilitate exchanges in seminars, conferences, and symposia involving experts in various sports disciplines such as fencing, rugby, handball, athletics, canoe-kayak/sprint, sailing, and skateboarding, among others.
Ambassador Guyonvarch expressed his enthusiasm about the agreement, stating, “On the eve of the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, the signing of this MOU on sports cooperation is a milestone in our bilateral relations, being the most ambitious and comprehensive agreement between our two countries in a strategic field of excellence. The implementation of this agreement, initiated by the Centre for Research on Sports Performance of Guadeloupe and the Faculty of Sports of UWI, will allow us to develop sports science, new practices, and more intense human exchanges between our two countries.”
The follow-up on the cooperation outlined in the MOU will be ensured by a Bilateral Steering Committee, which will meet annually in either of the two countries, ensuring that the goals and initiatives set forth are actively pursued and achieved.
This agreement not only strengthens the bond between Jamaica and France but also paves the way for enhanced sports performance, education, and ethical standards in both nations, promising a bright future for sports collaboration and excellence.
Gardiner, Charlton named flag bearers for The Bahamas ahead of Paris opening ceremony
Reigning 400m Olympic champion Steven Gardiner and World Indoor 60m hurdles champion Devynne Charlton will be flag bearers for The Bahamas at the much-anticipated Paris Olympic Games opening ceremonies on Friday.
Gardiner and Charlton are among the 20 athletes that will represent The Bahamas at the global multi-sport showpiece, which is currently under way and is scheduled to end on August 11.
Track and field and swimming are the two disciplines that the Bahamian contingent will contest at the Games.
Quartermiler Shaunae Miller-Uibo, high jumper Donald Thomas, who is making his fifth Olympic appearance, NCAA and national record holder in the javelin Rhema Otabor, decathlete Ken Mullings, and Charisma Taylor, who contests the triple jump and the 100m hurdles, are also on the team.
Rhaniska Gibbs and Lamar Taylor will represent the Bahamas in the pool.
Meanwhile, quartermiler Lacarthea Cooper finished third in the women’s 400m at the BAAA’s Nationals in 53.38 seconds behind second place finisher Quincy Penn in 53.35 seconds, but did not make the team.
However, Shania Adderley finished fifth in 54.50 seconds and was named to the Olympic team for her contributions as a member of the 4x400m mixed relay team at the World Relays.
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