KINGSTON, Jamaica — Briana Williams may consider voluntarily withdrawing from the Doha World Championships, if a verdict on her doping case is not handed down ahead of Thursday’s deadline to submit names of athletes competing in the women’s 100m event, which runs off on Saturday.

After Williams’ legal team and the Jamaiac Anti-Doping Commission closed their arguments earlier today, Dr Emir Crowne, legal prepresentative of Williams, asked the Jamaics Anti-Doping Commission panel to expedite its verdict, but panel Chairman Kent Gammon made it clear his team would not be forced into arriving at a decision influenced by external forces.

“We understand from the IAAF and the JAAA Miss Williams’ entry needs to be in by Thursday. But the panel wouldn’t commit to that and quite frankly it leaves us in a bad spot because now, where we are, its either Miss Williams voluntarily withdraws, which begrudgingly she has agreed to do, because we wouldn’t want to end up in a situation that has happened in the recent past where an athlete — after the fact — gets an anti-doping violation and Jamaica’s relay medals are stripped from them. So Miss Williams is actually willing to voluntarily withdraw,” said Dr Crowne.

The 17-year-old double Under-20 World champion was found to have the banned diuretic hydrochlorothiazide in her system when she was tested at the Jamaica National Senior Championships (Trials) in June.

Williams, who is widely considered one of the most exciting track and field prospects, clocked a personal best and Jamaican National Junior record of 10.94 seconds to finish third at the trials to provisionally earn a place on Jamaica’s team to the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, which starts on Friday.

In her defence, Williams’ handlers said she declared taking a cold medicine, Pharma Cold and Flu, during the Jamaican Championships, which was given to her by her mother Sharon Simpson. Her camp has claimed that the over-the-counter pills were contaminated with elements of the diuretic.

—Howard Walker