Last Friday, Jamaicans got a fresh reminder of the minefield that professional athletes navigate daily with news that 400m specialist Mr Christopher Taylor has been charged by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for a rule violation.

Mr Taylor, an Olympic and World Championships finalist, was deemed to have violated the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Anti-Doping Rule Article 2.3, which speaks to evading, refusing, or failing to submit to sample collection.

The rule states that “evading sample collection, or without compelling justification refusing or failing to submit to sample collection after notification as authorised in applicable anti-doping rules” are deemed as violations.

As we reported in yesterday’s edition, the information we have is that anti-doping officials turned up last November to conduct a test at the location that Mr Taylor had indicated on his whereabouts form; however, Mr Taylor was not at the listed location and had not updated his whereabouts information. He was, instead, at Norman Manley International Airport awaiting a flight that had previously been booked.

WADA rules require that athletes make their whereabouts known to local anti-doping agencies to facilitate out-of-competition testing. The information includes home address and contact; overnight accommodations in cases when they are away from home; training, work, school, and competition schedules and locations; as well as a one-hour time slot for each day when they will be available for testing.

If an athlete is not where they indicate they will be at the particular point when anti-doping officials turn up for testing, that can count as a missed test. While a first or second offence does not carry a penalty, three missed tests during a 12-month period constitute a whereabouts violation, which results in an automatic period of ineligibility for the athlete.

Additionally, if an athlete is deemed to have violated WADA Anti-Doping Code Article 2.3 that speaks to “evading, refusing, or failing to submit to sample collection” — which is the charge being made against Mr Taylor — a two- or four-year ban is mandatory.

The question in Mr Taylor’s case is whether he wilfully evaded or refused being tested.

Noted sports attorney Dr Emir Crowne believes that the charge levelled at the athlete is excessive and he should have merely been charged with a whereabouts violation, which would lead to no penalty. According to Dr Crowne, “The type of conduct envisioned by evasion and refusal and so on is not the type of conduct at play here.”

Based on the information we have so far, we cannot disagree with Dr Crowne. However, while we await word from Mr Taylor or his attorney, it is important that we reiterate the valuable lesson from this incident, which we have seen before with other Jamaican sports personalities. Athletes, especially those who have risen to the rank of professionals, must be on alert at all times for pitfalls and minefields.

Abide by the rules at all times. Don’t, as Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) Chairman Mr Alexander Williams stated in yesterday’s Jamaica Observer, “be wishy-washy” about the anti-doping procedures. Take them seriously.

The rules, he reminded, are on the WADA and JADCO websites. Additionally, he said, JADCO stages regular seminars on the rules and posts information across social media platforms.

Don’t allow ignorance of the rules to ruin your careers.