DR. PAUL Wright, the man who provocatively stated it would be difficult for Merlene Ottey to clear her name after returning a positive test for nandrolone, said yesterday he was happy the IAAF had cleared her to compete again.
Dr. Wright said Ottey's successful defence hinged on the fact that she (a) produced nandrolone naturally and (b) there was deficiency in the chain of custody of her urine sample from the time it was passed until the time it turned up in the laboratory.
He said her lawyer rightly pointed out the specific gravity of her urine sample on the day it was passed was significantly different from the specific gravity of the sample on the day it was tested.
This, he said, raised significant implications into the validity of the testing procedure.
"In the final analysis the glove just didn't fit," he said. "The whole procedure was faulty."
Dr. Wright lauded the role of the JAAA in sticking by Ottey from day one to the very end.
"She had moral support at home and this helped her through what must have been a taxing period for her mentally."
In closing, he said he was looking forward to seeing Ottey in action at the Sydney Olympics.
"At age 40, just to be there would be a fitting last hurrah for a great athlete," he said.
