Yet another of Barbados’ musclemen is facing an anti-doping suspension with reigning Mr Bridgetown Ramon Broomes reportedly tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol.
National Anti-Doping Commission chairman Dr Adrian Lorde declined comment on the matter, but Broomes confirmed the news in a Facebook post on Thursday, explaining why he won’t be competing at tomorrow’s National Championships.
“[The] reason, well putting it bluntly, analysis of my drug test for [Mr] Bridgetown, which has passed showed a positive result for clenbuterol. This is quite unfortunate as I was looking forward to compete in this event,” wrote Broomes.
“I’m not going into the nitty gritty on what that is, feel free to research it if you care to or don’t, that’s fine as well. What mind boggles me is that there is this notion that I should be huddling in a corner in shame and whatever self-defeating, negative thoughts I’m supposed to accept where this matter is concerned.
“To hell with that, my mindset is far evolved from those sorts of feelings. My only regret is that I can’t finish this year off in the great stride [in which] it was started,” he added.
Broomes is just the latest Bajan bodybuilder to return an adverse analytical finding after Hoskin Worrell, Stevenson Belle and Ryan Haynes all recently ran afoul of the World Anti-Doping code.
Worrell, Belle and former Barbados Amateur Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (BABFF) president Manasseh King are currently provisionally suspended while Haynes was hit with a retroactive four-year ban running from October 2016 to October of 2020.
Now Broomes is also likely to be suspended from the sport for four years for a substance that is banned by WADA both in and out of competition for its quick fat-burning and weight-loss abilities.
A sympathomimetic amine typically used for veterinary purposes, clenbuterol is usually taken as a decongestant or bronchodilator for asthma sufferers although it is not prescribed over the counter in Barbados.
“I am very concerned about this recent rise in drug use not only in bodybuilding, but specifically in that sport because we find a lot of people are not very cooperative with the NADC as far as allowing us to at least educate the athletes,” said Lorde.
“We’ve tried to speak to the executive and we still encounter problems even with the athletes who have returned adverse analytical findings as they too, have not been cooperative with the hearings. We would have hearings set up and they will not turn up to them.
“It’s also troubling because these athletes are all using the same gyms, so if one athlete has access to these banned substances then other athletes will now have that same access too,” he added.
A 27-year-old personal trainer, Broomes rose to prominence in bodybuilding after winning the 2012 Mr Barbados show and then copping successive Mr Bridgetown titles in 2017 and 2018.
His provisional suspension now robs tomorrow’s National Championships of a big showdown between him, Martinus Durrant and Kirk Alleyne.
The same Durrant also served a two-year suspension for testing positive for banned substances after veteran Roderick Waterman was also banned for two years. (JM)
