By Kayon Raynor
Fresh from helping Jamaica win sprint relay titles at the World Championships in Beijing, China, which ended on August 30, sprinters Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson have scored a victory in a legal matter arising from their positive tests for Oxilofrine in 2013.
According to a release issued by the company of the former world 100m record holder and the 2008 Olympic 100 metre silver medallist respectively, “the athletes have reached an out-of-court settlement with Dynamic Life Nutrition LLC, the company that sold the supplement Epiphany D1”.
Under the agreement reached between the athletes and the offending company, no details of the amount of the settlement will be made public.
However, Powell and Simpson had been suing the company for US$8 million after independent laboratory tests revealed that there were “ingredients in the product (Epiphany D1) that were not listed on the label,” the release added.
The sprinters had testified at an anti-doping disciplinary hearing in Jamaica and at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) appeal that they took Epiphany D1 as part of their training regimen, but later found out that the supplement contained the banned stimulant oxilofrine.
As result of the company’s failure to indicate all ingredients contained in Epiphany D1, Powell and Simpson faced a lengthy anti-doping hearing in Jamaica, forcing them to miss the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, Russia, before both were suspended from track and field for 18 months.
Their sanctions were later reduced to 6 months after the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) found that they did not know the stimulant was present in Epiphany D1.
Powell said: “There is no way to really explain the kind of damage a ban has on an athlete’s reputation. For us it was especially painful, because we really let down our countrymen.”
The two-time world 100 metre bronze medallist added: “There’s no doubt that we’re going to continue to fight to repair it and regain the trust of my fans and fans of the sport.”
According to Simpson:”I’m very greatful that this part of the ordeal is behind me and I can move forward knowing that there is some vindication. I’m happy that my team and I were somewhat able to repair our reputation. The damage is very big but the settlement has helped to repair some of the damages done.”
The supplement Epiphany D1 has since been placed on the USADA’s high risk supplement list, warning athletes to avoid the product.
It is understood that Dynamic Life Nutrition has also stopped selling the product.
Simpson was delighted with the legal victory. “Both Asafa and I are happy that we were able to settle this out of court. The legal process is tedious, but we don’t think about it when on the track.”
Simpson, a three-time Olympian, who won the Pan American Games 100 metre crown in July added: “We have a very capable team, and both of us are now extra careful about our diets and supplement regimen.”
