Ennis-London

JAMAICAN SPRINT hurdler Delloreen Ennis-London said a medical condition resulted in her ordering a prescription which contained banned substances, but said the package was never opened after learning of its contents.

On Tuesday, the website of popular American magazine Sports Illustrated published a story titled 'Two Jamaican hurdlers implicated in steroid ring', naming Ennis-London and 400m hurdler Adrian Findlay. The story alleged that both were mailed banned substances after ordering them on the Internet.

In an attempt to explain the circumstances, Ennis-London released a statement yesterday saying: "In May-June 2006 I experienced a severe female disorder. My local doctor was unable to find a solution, so I decided to seek alternative advice.

Additional symptoms

"I explored several alternatives that led me to the AAG Clinic in Miami, which specialised in this type of disorder. The doctor, Dr (Victor) Shabanah, pointed out additional symptoms and short and long-term problems if the bleeding continued. He informed me that this is common for females in my age group and the best and safest way to rectify the situation was to follow his protocol," he said.

Ennis-London said she told Shabanah that there were strict guidelines she must follow when it came to ingesting any form of medication. After hearing his assurances that the medication was legal and safe, Ennis-London said she purchased the product.

The Sports Illustrated story said between June 2006 and February 2007, two shipments of Somatropin (Human Growth Hormone, HGH) and one shipment of Triest (Estrogen), both banned substances, were sent to Ennis-London at a Texas address.

She said she received the first package while she was out of the country.

"While I was in Europe, my husband received a package and opened it. He checked the contents of the package and found that one of the substances prescribed to treat the condition was on the IAAF prohibited list. My husband immediately disposed of the package and contacted the clinic. He informed the clinic that ingredients in this product were not suitable for a professional athlete," read the statement.

Responding to how she ended up with a second package, she continued:

"In February 2007, an unsolicited package arrived to my address. Recognising that it was from the same clinic, my husband immediately contacted the doctor and demanded that the credit card information be destroyed and all mail cease immediately. The doctor agreed, refunded the credit card and there was no further shipment. The second package was never opened but immediately disposed (of). I have never laid eyes on either package's contents."