Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson in Police Doping Inquiry.

Asafa Powell and Sheronne Simpson.
Asafa Powell and Sheronne Simpson.

Italian Police say former 100m world-record holder Asafa Powell, his Jamaican teammate Sherone Simpson and their trainer Christopher Xuereb have been placed under investigation for allegedly violating Italy’s doping laws.

The move comes a day after Italian police confiscated unknown substances in a raid on the hotel where the trio were staying in the north-eastern town of Lignano Sabbiadoro after the athletes tested positive for banned stimulants.

Udine prosecutors suspect the trio violated Article 9 of the doping laws, which calls for punishment for whoever administers or consumes banned substances. Police are still analyzing the substances confiscated.

Jamaican athletes have made Ligano their in-season training base for years. The development came as the Olympic discus thrower Allison Randall became the third athlete to confirm a positive drug test from the Jamaican trials in June.

Randal, who competed at last year’s London Games but failed to make the final, acknowledged receipt of the Jamaican Anti-Doping Commission’s notification of her adverse findings for a banned diuretic but, like Powell and Simpson, denied knowingly taking a performance-enhancing substance.

© The Guardian.