Athletics: Jayasinghe drug `conspiracy' claim

Athletics

THE Sri Lankan sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe yesterday denied taking drugs and said a positive dope test was the result of a conspiracy against her.

"I completely deny this allegation. I would never want to win in such a manner. This is a conspiracy against me," Jayasinghe, the 200 metres silver medallist at last year's World's Championships, told a news conference.

The Sri Lankan Amateur Association said on Thursday that Jayasinghe had tested positive for the banned substance Nandroline during a random test carried out by the International Amateur Athletic Federation in March, but Jayasinghe said bottles containing her urine sample, which had been collected in Colombo for testing in Australia, had not been sealed by the local sports authorities. She produced a letter from the doctor who collected the sample saying the bottle was not sealed.

Jayasinghe rose to fame when she became the first Sri Lankan in 49 years to win a medal at an international championship. She clocked 22.39sec in Athens, beating favourite Merlene Ottey of Jamaica into third place.

The Sri Lankan sports authority has asked the IAAF for another test to be carried out.