2019 IAAF World Championships

Teen Star Briana Williams Tests Positive For Banned Substance

Teen Star Briana Williams Tests Positive For Banned Substance

The 100m national high school record holder will contest that the positive test was a result of taking an over-the-counter cold medicine.

Aug 28, 2019 by Lincoln Shryack
Teen Star Briana Williams Tests Positive For Banned Substance

Shocking news out of Jamaica as 100m high school national record holder and World U-20 champion Briana Williams has tested positive for the banned diuretic Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), according to multiple outlets.

Williams’ "B" sample confirmed the discovery of the diuretic in a WADA test, according to RJR Sports in Jamaica. Diuretics like HCTZ can mask the presence of other banned substances like anabolic steroids. It is typically prescribed to treat high blood pressure.

Williams, 17, and her lawyers will contest the anti-doping violation at a disciplinary hearing in the coming weeks. The teen star has denied any wrongdoing and will contend that the positive test was a result of an over-the-counter cold medication.

Emir Crowne, Williams’ attorney, told Reuters that the medication was declared on the sprinter’s doping control form at the Jamaican Trials back in June, where the substance was detected. Crowne said the diuretic found in the test was not among the listed ingredients on the medication, but a test on the medicine itself confirmed the presence of the banned substance.

“It is genuinely a case where I would suggest no fault at all for a situation that was beyond her control, and beyond anyone’s control really,” Crowne said.

Williams finished third in the women’s 100m at her nationals championships on June 21 to preliminarily qualify for the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Doha. In that race, Williams, who attends high school in Florida, set the national high school record of 10.94.