Five axed from Jamaican team

The five athletes - four men and one woman - who have tested positive for a banned stimulant, will not be attending the world championships in Berlin this month.

The five athletes - four men and one woman - who have tested positive for a banned stimulant, will not be attending the world championships because their doping hearings have not been completed, a Jamaican athletics official said. The banned stimulant that the athletes - whose names have not been made public - were tested positive for is the stimulant methylxanthine. None of the five won any medals at the Beijing Olympics.

"Based on what is going on, they will not be able to go to Berlin," said Dr Warren Blake, vice-president of the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association. "We would have had to name them on the final team list by Tuesday, but the hearings began the same day and will not be completed until later this week. "It is therefore fair to say that the five will miss being on the team, as they can't be selected until they are cleared," he added.

The hearings for the five athletes are scheduled to continue today and on Friday, while the world championships are scheduled for August 15-23. "The main aim now is for justice to be done and they get a proper hearing," Blake said. "Whether they are guilty or innocent, the result must be able to stand the test of time." * With agencies