Jamaica's Briana Williams tests positive for banned substance
Jamaica's Briana Williams tests positive for banned substance

World U20 sprint double champion Briana Williams has expressed appreciation for the love shown by fans after news broke of her positive test at Jamaica Trials.

Williams’ sample was found to have the banned diuretic, Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ). She finished third at the Jamaica Trials in 10.94s.

“For everyone sending me messages of support, love and encouragement, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. It really means a lot to me,” Williams posted on social media Tuesday night.

Williams’ publicist, Tanya Lee, also posted a message supporting her athlete. “I stand with my athletes in moments of glory, and equally in moments of misfortune. Each, their own person, with their own triumphs and trials. It’s the nature of the sport that some days you win, some days you lose, and some days you stumble. But on no day will anyone from my team stand alone.

“Thanks to all who have reached out to express their love, concern and support for Briana at this time. As JAAA President Dr Blake expressed today, the explanation has been given, and the hope is that she is exonerated. Until then,” she wrote.

The use of Hydrochlorothiazide is prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for its ability to mask the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Canadian based sports attorney Dr Emir Crown, who is representing Williams, plans to argue that the banned substance was contained in the contaminated over-the-counter medication for Cold and Flu. The medicine was declared on her doping control form.

Dr Crown explained: “The independent test confirmed the presence of a diuretic and the diuretic was not listed among the ingredients in that cold medicine that the athlete took,” local media quoted Dr Crowne.

The lawyer is still hoping Williams will get on Jamaica’s team to the Doha 2019 World Championships.


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54 COMMENTS

  1. @hannu I just realized your name is Hannu! Not Hannah I don’t care my comment still stands.. hannu….Hannah whatever your name is! Read with understanding!!

  2. @hannahSavolaine please if you cannot READ AND COMPREHEND THEN KINDLY BOW OUT OF THIS COMMENT SECTION. You are trying to sound educated but instead you are sounding very illiterate.. so if no one here understands what is going on please let me educate you on the matter. At the Jamaican national trials her mother had the flu her mother passed the flu on to her. Her mother was taking the pharma cold and flu.. her mother had some left over pharma cold and flu her daughter woke up on the morning of 100m finals with a high fever like any mother would she shared her medication with her daughter to make her feel better! I’m sure she read the label which DID NOT LIST THE BANNED SUBSTANCES AS AN ACTIVE INGREDIENT! her daughter took the medication AND DECLARED IT ON HER DRUG FORM!!! Hence if she was being a cheat she WOULD NOT HAVE DECLARED IT!!! When the positive result came back her coach SENT THE USED MEDICATION THAT THANKFUL HER MOM KEPT AND A SEALED ONE THAT WAS BOUGHT FOR THE PURPOSE OF TESTING!!!! The pharma cold and flu had the banned substance in it!!! NOT JUST THE PACK THAT SHE TOOK BUT ALL THE PHARMA COLD AND FLU PRODUCTS… NOW HANNAH WHATEVER YOUR NAME IS AND THE REST OF YOU BEFORE YOU GO BULLYING A 17 year old CHILD READ DIFFERENT ARTICLES FIRST!!! She is NOT A CHEAT SHE HAS NO REASON TO CHEAT SHE HAS PROVEN HERSELF TIME AND AGAIN!!! If YOU ARE A MOTHER LOOK YOURSELF IN THE MIRROR FIRST BEFORE YOU START DOWNGRADING SOMEONE ELSES CHILD!!! It’s unfortunate that this happened but she did not knowingly cheat… Hannah you are over there talking about diuretic in her system but you sound dumb af!! hydrochlorothiazide Which is found in the pharma cold and flu IS THE BANNED DIURETIC! She took it so that’s why the banned substance was found but you and your unintelligent self trying to sound smart talking bout “diuretic found in her bloodstream” duh!!!!! Then to suggest that someone from her team allowed her to cheat then try to cover it up is preposterous!!! M I swear to God YOU ARE NO DOCTOR!! You ARE A FRAUD!!! if you are a doctor there is something seriously wrong with board of medicine that gave you a license to practice. Let me know the board that you got your license from I need to have a strong word with them because your level of thinking is a danger to any patient of yours!!! Have a great day!!! Read with an open mind before you try to drag a child’s name!!

  3. Madelyn Mitchell The diuretic was in the cold medicine she took, as test confirmed. Also she informed the committee prior to the trials that she took the cold medicine. Not cheating!

  4. Good lord the young lady was sick everyone knew she was ill. What occurred is no fault of hers and they should allow her to move forward.

  5. Colin R Brown who are you to tell me god is not going to take care of things please god is a merciful god he hears the prayers of the muderers so why wouldnt he hear the prayers for little Bri Bri

  6. I disagree, God is not going to take care of things. Now she absolutely has the opportunity to adjust going forward.

  7. I believe certain authorities are out to see her down fall because she chose to represent Jamaica over USA and because she is a rising sensation. How was she to know that she had consumed a banned substance if it was not infact listed on the label.

  8. Young lady i do wish for u that things will go in ur favour. I hope they who never runs or what it takes to win will not harm u

  9. Melvin Phipps God? Why did you say that? Do you really believe that? God is in the Track and Field business.
    My Grandmother use to always say, prevention is better than having to cure. Your God is in the curing business; that’s how it maintains its control over your mind!

  10. My prayers r with u n keep ur head up feet moving it’s going to get better drink plenty of water n natural fruit juices also cranberry ok keep on keeping on lil sis proud of you

  11. Briana Williams keep your head up God will see you through all of this. Believe through Christ all thing are possible I believe you’ll prevail. Just believe in yourself. My ? always praying

  12. Don’t worry mi likkle sista jah ago bring u out of this,dem can’t keep u down jamaica is. Praying for you,have faith

  13. We are praying for you. And we stand behind you 100%and we love you in good times and in bad times..don’t worry all that will pass one love Jamaica

  14. Why they making the such a thing and it a water pills that cause the body to make more urine, reduce high blood pressure and protect the kidneys. But USA missed three test so they are trying to let Jamaica down. But God will give her grace.

  15. I sure do remember during the national trial the flu was down on her. Even when she was interviewed on national TV. She’s innocent of this finding, I hope the relevant authority look into this incident before making a bad decision towards her. We need to pray for her with sincerity.

  16. At her age and stage she needs no P.E.D. so doctor Hannu Savolainen, stop talking foolishness about somebody tampering with her meds. But I blame her handlers for dropping the ball. They ought to be more alert especially considering she is still a minor. These things are hidden so in this day and age any manager who trust t luck or their naked eye should be fired! Somebody dropped the ball. She was at trials showing signs of the flu that she could not even report for the 200M. We were told she was even running a fever. Also your claim about flu medicines do not have diuretics is a non-starter. You made all of them? OS how do you know what’s in them? FYI, they sent the meds to be tested and got confirmation it contains the diuretic so are you going to apologise for your erroneous (professional) publicly made opinion? I bet it is a careless doctor like you who advise people in error and ruin their lives. As a non-doctor I can tell you there are compounds that show up with the same chemical make up as others and this would not be the first time this has happened to an athlete. That is why I blame the handlers. I am hoping for a no-fault decision for Briana because anything else gets her career off to a very bad start -a ban regardless of how short and any ban at this time will keep her out of her first World Champs. That is devastating!

  17. Full support for you and your team during this challenging time. Things happen in life all the time regardless of how careful we are and it is important to reject every negative while staying positive. I fully trust Ato Boldon and know that he will never subscribe to anything that will tarnish Brianna, the sport or his legacy.

  18. Yes, but as I said: someone from her own team could have tampered with her medications AFTER she tested positive to make it LOOK like it was the medicine itself – which really sounds odd to me as a doctor. That is the whole problem here. I suggest you back and read everything about the BALCO scandal and who was involved in it. They all said they were innocent. I have never met a professional sports person who would have right away admitted they had taken banned substances… (I do believe Brianna Williams is innocent but it does look bad to a professional eye. In any case this is a warning to her medical team. It has become very difficult to get away with it these days, luckily).

  19. Hannu Savolainen why do you sound so ignorant and stubborn. Did u even read the article or the comments under your first post?

  20. The fact is this: a diuretic was found in her bloodstream, right. The fact that a medication later was “found” to be contaminated with it proves nothing. Someone could have done that after she gave the positive A sample, right? That would have been very easy. So what remains is that she tested positive for a banned substance. That in any case should be a warning to her and her team.

  21. Hannu Savolainen, I am not sure of any cases involving this contaminant in a cold and flu medication but there are cases of banned substances found in some medications and supplements, not listed in the ingredients. If it can be proven that the chemical is in other batches of the medication at source, then the inadvertent use claim will be strongly supported. This has happened in previous cases, with some athletes then even suing the manufacturer for loss of income and reputation.
    It would be great if a testing facility could be made available to athletes through their national bodies to test substances prior to use. Maybe the IAAF could set this up.

  22. Shelly McLaughlin Exactly. It is not possible for a young healthy athlete to get diuretics into her system unless they serve a purpose. Flu medicines do not have diuretics. Someone has given something else. The question really is why. A ban of some months is unavoidable here. I hope her team has learned their lesson…

  23. This is insane! Why on earth would a young healthy person take diuretics? Normally athletes use them to cover the use of other substances. What is going on here?

  24. @Gary Gary hoping so, but it’s gonna be a pox on her blooming career. Athletes do not have the privilege of using over the counter medication for that same reason as you say, the banned substances were not on the label.

  25. @Marcia Brown Assume her mom gave her over the counter medication the mom was sick as well ..Brianna had to withdraw from the 200m because she was ill..The medication was tested for banned substance seal capsules and the banned ingredients not on the labelled so she will be warned I supposed

  26. Everton S. Jackson Because diuretics have been used many times before to cover an ilegal substance. I’m not saying she’s on something because innocent until proven guilty, but that’s the case.

  27. We love you hon and god is going to take care of thinh who god bless no man curse you shall not be banned in the name of jesus no weapon

  28. How on God’s earth can she be blamed for a banned substance not shown on the label of an over the counter cold medication??? Unless athletes now start to travel with chemistry sets there is no way they can test medications to see if it contains substances not identified on the label.

  29. Little miss Brianna you only can test positive by God not damn man kind God alone will lead you into your right full destination…

  30. We love you hon and god is going to take care of thinh who god bless no man curse you shall not be banned in the name of jesus no weapon

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