MONTEGO BAY, St James — A defiant Claude Bryan, manager of embattled Jamaican sprinter Veronica Campbell Brown has leapt to the defence of his star client and has adamantly defended her credibility.

In a release issued minutes ago, Bryan the head of the On Track Management (OTM) group said: “Veronica is not a cheat, she has via hard work and dedication accomplished a record on the track which is absolutely remarkable.”

The release follows one issued just over an hour ago by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) that Campbell Brown “voluntarily withdrew herself from competition and accepted the provisional suspension”.

The release also said the JAAA was able “to confirm that a case concerning Mrs Veronica Campbell Brown is currently ongoing. The matter is being handled according to the IAAF Rules.”

The release from OTM added: “There are two things that are unmistakable about Veronica Campbell Brown. On one hand she has had good success on the track, and on the other she has always stood for and carried herself with dignity. That she should now be accused of infringing on anti-doping rules is a shock to her, her loyal supporters and many others in not just sports, but also the other spheres into which she has extended herself to help.

“Her faith which rest not in device or creed will see her through this dark period.  Due to her determination to vigorously pursue the clearing of her name, she will desist from being vocal, suffice it to say, while not accepting guilt of willfully taking a banned substance, she wholeheartedly apologises to her family, Jamaica, her sponsors, the governing body, the world athletics family, her supporters, as well as those she worked with in various non-athletic causes for any embarrassment and or hurt this devastating news has caused.

“She remains an ardent believer in the purity of competition, the beauty of the sport and resolute in the fact that unearned suffering has redemptive qualities. She will begin the process of clearing her name.”