KINGSTON — Olympic and world champion sprinter Shelly Ann Fraser is taking responsibility for not listing a banned painkiller that she took to relieve a toothache, resulting in a six-month ban.
The Jamaican tested positive for oxycodone at the Diamond League meet May 23 in Shanghai. She said she took the painkiller after undergoing a dental procedure shortly before flying to China.
Fraser ran one of her slowest times in placing second at the meet, later saying she was depressed and confused about the defeat.
“It was in this state of mind that I omitted to list the oxycodone,” Fraser said. “I take full responsibility for this lapse on my part. The time has come for me to explain this issue that has dominated my life over the past four months.”
The Jamaican was banned by track's governing body last month and will be ineligible to compete until Jan. 7.
She said she had resumed training and was preparing for the 2011 world championships in Daegu, South Korea, and the 2012 London Olympics.
Fraser won the 100 meters at the 2008 Beijing Olympics ahead of teammates Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart to give Jamaica a sweep of the podium. She added the world title in Berlin a year later, beating Stewart again.
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