From left, the Barbados team before departure to the Puerto
Rico weightlifting meet last October: Quontana Clarke,
Cicely Callender, Zagora Callender and Daniel Griffi th.
Photo by George Alleyne
Caribbean Life, May 1-7, 2020 29
By George Alleyne
Self-confessed Barbadian
anti-doping violator, weightlifter
Zagora Callender, has reportedly
completed her suspension
for the offence but is not yet
cleared to enter competitions
as the local authority has said
she must be tested before any
official performance.
One day after her October
2019, stellar performance as
part of Barbados’ junior weightlifting
team at the 34th Torneo
Criollo International, the International
Weightlifting Federation
(IWF) informed her of a
charge of an anti-doping violation
and provisionally suspended
her pending review.
Later that month she was
banned from the sport for a
period.
During that international
October 2019 meet, 17-year-old
Zagora Callender had revved
up to her personal best showing
of 63/81kg in the clean and
jerk, and 144kg in the snatch,
clean and jerk, at the Angelo
Berrios Diaz Sports Complex
in Caguas Puerto Rico before
being charged with use of an
anabolic steroid, Dehydroepiandrosterone
(DHEA), which
she claimed her physician had
prescribed.
The offence was committed
during March last year, and she
had been under investigation
since then.
Barbados TODAY newspaper
last week broke the news that
the youngster had reached the
end of her suspension and was
ready to re-enter competitive
and official weightlifting.
Callender’s lawyer, Nicholas
Jackman, had reportedly written
to the Barbados Olympic
Association claiming the International
Weightlifting Federation
(IWF) had given the
youngster clearance to resume
competitive sports.
“The effect of assessing the
period of ineligibility from
the ADRV (anti-doping violation
rule) violation date is that
Ms Callender’s period of ineligibility
has now come to an
end, having ended on April 21,
2020,” the lawyer said, adding,
“Callender is therefore now permitted
to recommence competitive
training and participate in
weightlifting competitions.”
Chairman of the island’s
National Anti- Doping Commission,
Dr. Adrian Lorde,
however said despite the IWF
reported ruling that Callender
is now free to compete in any
events, she must first undergo
local testing approved by the
World Anti-Doping Agency.
“According to the National
Anti-Doping Commission
rule, once you have received an
anti-doping rule violation and
you served a sanction before
returning to competition, we
require you ‘give your whereabouts’
for out-of-competition
testing,” said Lorde, who added
he is yet to get official notification
from the IWF, and that
until he receives official notice
of her clearance no testing will
begin.
Callender had admitted to
IWF officials that she was using
DHEA, an anabolic steroid, said
to enhance athletic performances.
Lorde used the instance of
Callender’s experience to advise
all athletes on the need to know
what is illegal or not in sports.
“She was not tested positive
for any substance, it was a declaration
of use of a prohibited
substance and that was one of
the anti-doping rule violations.
“She declared that she used
a prohibited substance and that
alone is an anti-doping rule
violation just as if she had been
tested for it or have been found
with it. She just declared at the
time of the test but when they
did the test they didn’t find
anything.”
“I think the lesson learnt
here is that athletes have to be
more responsible when taking
any medication or supplement
even if prescribe by a doctor.
They need to check before taking
medication that is prohibited,
and if so then seek an alternative
drug that is allowed,”
Lorde said.
Barbados lifter ends ban but …