Jamaican squash player Julian Morrison has been handed a two-year suspension for an anti-doping rule violation involving the anabolic steroid Boldenone. The ruling was handed down on Wednesday by the Independent Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel, which concluded that while Morrison did not ingest the substance intentionally, he failed to provide concrete evidence of how it entered his system, thereby warranting a two-year-period of ineligibility.

The suspension, which runs from February 21, 2024—the date Morrison was provisionally suspended—was imposed after an extensive hearing process that included submissions from both the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) and Morrison’s legal team. Morrison was represented by attorneys-at-law Matthew Gayle and Dr Emir Crowne of New City Chambers.

Morrison, a two-time national squash champion, tested positive for Boldenone during an out-of-competition test on January 18, 2024. Both his A and B samples returned adverse analytical findings. He argued that the result may have stemmed from consuming contaminated meat, but the panel found this explanation unsubstantiated due to a lack of scientific evidence or product testing.

In reaching their decision, the panel, chaired by Catherine Minto and including Dr. Donovan Calder and Mr. Dean Martin, referenced the critical standard outlined in the anti-doping rules. While an athlete may receive a reduced sanction if they can prove the violation was not intentional or that they bore no significant fault, such a reduction depends on establishing, on a balance of probabilities, the precise source of the substance. Morrison failed to do so.

The panel noted that Professor Christiane Ayotte, JADCO’s expert witness, described the Boldenone level in Morrison’s urine as “not low”—but didnt go beyond this  therefore the Panel was unable to objectively conclude that the doping was intentional.

While the panel conceded there was no direct evidence that Morrison intentionally used the banned substance, it found his explanation insufficiently supported. Professor Ayotte further stated that if Boldenone contamination from meat were prevalent in Jamaica, more athletes would likely test positive, which has not been the case.

Ultimately, while Morrison’s long and previously unblemished sporting career, along with his clean test record prior to January 2024, persuaded the panel that he was not a deliberate cheat, it also concluded that he had not taken the necessary steps to prove how the Boldenone entered his system. Therefore, the panel applied a two-year suspension, the minimum reduction available under the rules once intentional use is ruled out but a lack of due diligence is established.

Morrison’s ban will end on February 21, 2026. No costs were awarded to either party.