CAS cites doping sample flaws in Jamaican case

In this file photo dated Sunday, March 9, 2014, Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown runs in the 60m semi-final during the Athletics World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland. AP

LONDON — Sport’s highest appeals body says Jamaican sprinter Veronica Campbell-Brown was cleared of doping because of blatant flaws in the test collection procedures and possible “environmental contamination” of her urine sample.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport released its full report Tuesday explaining the decision to uphold the three-time Olympic gold medalist’s appeal against a two-year doping ban.

The runner was cleared by CAS in late February, but the reasons have not been released until now.

In a 58-page ruling, the three-man arbitration panel outlines “deplorable” mistakes by Jamaican athletics and anti-doping officials in the collection of the athlete’s first partial sample. CAS said the errors could have led to the sample being contaminated by water or sweat containing a banned substance.

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