Damon Smith, a chaperone for the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO), told the Independent Anti-doping Disciplinary Panel yesterday that Jamaica 400-metre runner Riker Hylton refused to submit his sample for testing on April 27 last year.

He made the declaration yesterday while under cross-examination from Hylton’s lawyer Dr Emir Crowne during the disciplinary hearing at Jamaica Conference Centre.Hylton, a 400m relay bronze medallist at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, Republic of Korea, and a semi-finalist in the individual 400m race at that same championships, is charged with violation of Article 2.3 of the World Anti-Doping Agency code.Such a breach speaks to evading testing sample collection or refusing to submit a sample.Damon Smith, who said he was sporting a JADCO vest on the day in question, alleged that the athlete said “you guys nah test me this morning” when approached during training at the Stadium East facility.He added that Hylton subsequently walked away, and thereafter he (Damon Smith) reported to JADCO doping control officer Tajae Smith, who was chief of that mission, regarding the athlete’s actions.JADCO’s attorney Lackston Robinson also called Tajae Smith and Carey Brown, the executive director of the local anti-doping body, to the witness stand.While Brown was on the stand it emerged that JADCO is in possession of a signed statement that could aid its case against the quarter-miler.However, according to the local anti-doping boss, the person who gave the statement is unwilling to testify.Dr Crowne is expected to present the respondent’s case this morning when the hearing is set to resume at the same venue, starting at 9:30.He is set to call on Hylton, athlete Jonique Day, track coach Bertland Cameron and athletes’ agent Marvin Anderson. Cameron’s testimony is expected to be given via teleconference as he is said to be hospitalised after undergoing surgery.Hylton, who was yesterday accompanied by his sister Tanisher Hylton-McNeil, can be banned up to a maximum of four years if found guilty.Jamaica’s 400m hurdles star Kaliese Spencer is awaiting ruling arising from a similar allegation in a separate case.Yesterday’s sitting was set to begin 10:00 am, but did not start until approximately 11:35 am when Dr Japheth Ford, a member of the disciplinary panel, belatedly arrived.The three-member tribunal, chaired by Georgia Gibson Henlin, QC, also comprises Denise Forrest.Gibson Henlin apologised for the considerable delay. However, no reason was given for Dr Ford’s late show.Proceedings began with testimony from Tajae Smith who said initially the mission was to test MVP Track Club athletes, but after swooping down at Stadium East his team discovered that they had already left.He said attention then went to Cameron Blazers Track Club athletes. Tajae Smith claimed he asked Coach Cameron to name a male athlete he spotted who turned out to be Hylton.Damon Smith, who said he is a security practitioner and a trained observer, then gave evidence where he stated that he was instructed by Tajae to inform Hylton of his selection for doping control tests.The chaperone alleges that he introduced himself and presented identification to Hylton, but was stopped short when the runner vacated the scene.During Crowne’s cross-examination the chaperone said he did not remember specific timelines for what happened that morning. Damon Smith also said he did not see Brown at Stadium East that morning.But the matter took a turn when Brown, during examination-in-chief by Robinson, said he saw Damon Smith amongst the JADCO team that he (Brown) spoke to at the venue the very same morning.In seeking to highlight possible discrepancy in timelines, Crowne got Brown to reiterate that he indeed saw Damon Smith.As Crowne’s cross-examination of Brown moved on, things hit a snag when the JADCO executive director — despite repeated questions from Hylton’s lawyer — declined to explain what caused JADCO to decide on “further investigation” into the Hylton matter between August 2016 and January 2017.Brown kept replying he “can’t say” to which Crowne posited that such a position was “unfair to athletes” and also lacked “transparency”.The tribunal panel was also interested in the reason for that six-month delay in proceeding with a case against the athlete, but Brown told Gibson Henlin that he “would not want to say”.At the end of yesterday’s sitting Crowne told the media he would reserve comment until the end of the hearing so as to avoid any “compromise” of his client’s case.When approached by the

Jamaica Observer Robinson declined comment.