High school sprinting star tests positive for banned substance
U18 100m world record holder Briana Williams tested positive for a banned substance at the Jamaican national championships
Briana Williams, 17, shattered the world U18 and the Jamaian U20 record in June at the Jamaican senior national championships in the 100m. Williams went on to qualify for the Doha World Championships and shatter the American high school 100m record.
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According to the Jamaican Gleaner, on Tuesday it was announced that Williams tested positive for the banned substance Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ). HCTZ is a diuretic that can mask the presence of other banned substances, such as anabolic steroids. It’s usually prescribed to treat conditions like high blood pressure.
According to Williams’s lawyer, HCTZ was present in the cold medication that Williams was taking during the Jamaican national championships and declared on her drug testing form. Williams did tell media outlets back in June that she was dealing with a fever during the championships. The banned substance reportedly wasn’t listed as an ingredient in the cold medication.
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Williams has a 100m personal best of 10.94. According to the Gleaner, Williams and her lawyers are seeking an expedited hearing and will contest “that the 17-year-old had no fault in the circumstances and therefore, should not face any sanctions.”
Williams is stationed in Florida and coached by Ato Boldon.
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