Australian Olympic show jumper suspended from Tokyo Games after testing positive for cocaine

Australian Olympic show jumper Jamie Kermond has been suspended from the Tokyo Games after returning a positive sample for cocaine.

The 36-year-old Victorian returned a postive A-sample for the illicit drug prior to the Olympics on Wednesday. 

He has been provisionally suspended as further tests are being conducted.  

Kermond was controversially selected to the team ahead of Australia’s top-ranked show jumper after reports he had sponsorship ties to one of the team’s selectors. 

‘Equestrian Australia has provisionally suspended Jumping athlete Jamie Kermond under the Australian National Anti-Doping Policy 2021,’ the Australian Olympic body said in a statement.

‘The mandatory Provisional Suspension Notice asserts Mr Kermond returned a positive A-sample for a metabolite of cocaine following a test conducted by Sport Integrity Australia on 26 June 2021.

‘Cocaine is prohibited In-Competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the Australian National Anti-Doping Policy 2021. Mr Kermond is prohibited from participating in any WADA compliant event, including the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, while the provisional suspension is in place.’ 

Kermond was controversially selected to the team despite the country’s top-ranked show jumper missing out.

Rowan Willis, ranked 59th in the world, was sensationally left out of the team for Kermond who sits 1013th. 

There are reports Kermond has links to a sponsor who is tied to one of Australia’s Olympic selectors, Stephen Lamb. 

According to reports by the Herald Sun Mr Lamb conceded the conflict of interest in him being involved in the selection of of Kermond and excused himself from his selection, however Equestrian Australia asked the AIS for assurance they were following the rules. 

‘Whilst the AIS is managing the high-performance program, it is imperative the EA board are in a position to have sufficient oversight from a governance perspective of the decisions taken by the high-performance panel and the resultant activities by the high-performance panel management team,’ EA chairman Mark Bradley wrote to the AIS in May.

‘The EA board requests the AIS provide comfort confirming all duties are being discharged and all the legal, regulatory and good governance practices of EA have been adhered to.’