By Nick Butler

Dominique Blake (centre) competing at the 2012 World Indoor Championships ©Getty ImagesJamaican 400 metres runner Dominique Blake's six-year ban for a second doping offence has been cut to four-and-a-half years after a successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).


The 27-year-old, who has a personal best of 51.72 secs, reached the semi-finals of the 2012 World Indoor Championships in Istanbul and was selected for the Jamaican 4x400m relay squad for London 2012, although she did not compete in either the heats or final.

But it emerged soon after that she tested positive for the banned substance methylhexanamine during the Jamaican Olympic trials for London 2012.

This followed a previous nine-month ban she had served after testing positive for ephedrine in 2006.

Because she had failed tests twice, Blake was handed a six-year ban by the Jamaica Anti-Doping Appeals Tribunal (JADAT) as of July 24, 2012.

But, following an appeal launched by the athlete, CAS ruled that the suspension  was "too severe" and decided to reduce the sentence, although they have only partly alleviated her guilt.

They said in a statement there had been "some mitigating factors" but added that Blake had "failed to establish that she bears no significant fault or negligence" for the positive test, with more details to be revealed when the full report is published "in a few days". 

The period of ineligibility is now back-dated to 1 July 2012, meaning Blake will be able to return at the start of 2017, leaving her time to mount a qualification bid for the International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships, that are due to take place in London that year from August 5 until 13. 

Other Jamaicans implicated in doping include fellow sprinter Sherone Simpson, who was banned for 18 months in April ©AFP/Getty ImagesOther Jamaicans implicated in doping include fellow sprinter Sherone Simpson, who was banned for 18 months in April ©AFP/Getty Images



Blake is one of a number of Jamaicans to have been implicating in doping scandals in recent years, with former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell and Beijing 2008 100m silver medal winner Sherone Simpson among eight athletes to fail tests in 2013.

The duo were each handed 18 month bans after testing positive for the banned stimulant oxilofrine last month.

An emergency audit was also paid to Jamaica by the World Anti Doping Agency last November in response to the failure, after which the entire executive management team of the Jamaican Anti-Doping Commission, including chairman Herb Elliott, resigned.

Since then a new Board of Directors, led by successful businessman Danny Williams, has been appointed by Jamaica's Ministry of Sports.

The full verdict still has to be published by CAS. 

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