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The world queen of junior sprints fails the doping test

In this file photograph taken on February 18, 2019, Jamaican sprinter Briana Williams poses on the red carpet before the 2019 Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony at the Sporting Monte-Carlo complex in Monaco. PHOTO | VALERY HACHE |
Double U-20 world sprint champion Briana Williams could miss next month's World Championship after being reported positive using banned hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) diuretics.

The Jamaican daily The Gleaner said that the 17-year-old initially failed a doping test after the National Senior Championship between June 20-23 where he placed third in 100 meters to secure a place in the national team for the World Championships in Doha.

The newspaper said Tuesday that a 'B' sample had been reported to confirm the presence of the substance.

Williams representative Emir Crowne said they had not yet received confirmation of the 'B' sample and insisted that the runners did nothing wrong.

His team reportedly said that the teenager used cold medicine and contaminated flu - which he stated on his test protocol form - as a source of illicit substances.

"Our main position is Ms. Williams is innocent in the circumstances and there should be no sanctions imposed on her. That will be our main position," Crowne told The Gleaner.

The drug, which did not list HCTZ as an active ingredient, was then sent by the Williams team to be tested independently in the US, where it was confirmed that it was contaminated with traces of banned diuretics, the newspaper reported.

Williams, born in Florida, was only 16 when she won 100m and 200m at the U-20 World Championships last year in Tampere, which was nominated for the IAAF Female Rising Start and Laureus Breakthrough of the Year Awards.

The Jamaican Athletic Administration Association (JAAA) is set to name its team for Doha on September 6.

Last week, American sprinter Christian Coleman promised to fight accusations that he missed three drug tests, saying he was confident the September trial would clear him to compete in the World Championships.

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