KINGSTON, Jamaica — Chinese sportswear company Li-Ning suspended its sponsorship of Asafa Powell Wednesday after the Jamaican sprinter failed a doping test and was formally placed under criminal investigation in Italy for possibly violating anti-doping laws. The company said in a statement that it has “great respect for his efforts and hard work” over the years but it was suspending its deal with the former 100-meter world-record holder pending the outcome of a doping investigation. The announcement comes days after weekend revelations that Powell and fellow Jamaican track star Sherone Simpson tested positive for the stimulant oxilofrone at the national championships last month. Discus thrower Allison Randall and two other athletes also returned positives for banned substances at the same meet. News over the weekend that Tyson Gay also was under the cloud of doping led sportswear giant Adidas to suspend its sponsorship of the US sprinter Monday. On Wednesday, Li-Ning said it will immediately end its contract with Powell if he is “found to be involved in the use of banned stimulants.” The company said it “is firmly opposed to any acts of deceit that tarnishes the principles of fair competition.” Li-Ning, which has thousands of retail outlets in China, is gradually gaining recognition in the United States. Last year, Miami Heat star Dwayne Wade signed with Li-Ning, which gave the NBA player his own brand within the company. Wade's former Miami teammate, Shaquille O'Neal, had also endorsed the brand. Powell says he is not a cheat. In a Sunday statement released shortly after his agent confirmed the positive “A” test, Powell said the findings left him “completely devastated in many respects.” “My fault here, however, is not cheating but instead not being more vigilant,” said Powell, the last man to hold the 100 world record before fellow Jamaican Usain Bolt shattered it in 2008. Powell, who turns 31 in November, returned quietly to Jamaica Tuesday night, according to the Jamaica Observer. An anonymous source told the newspaper that Powell is huddling with lawyers to plan his next move. The athlete's publicist in Jamaica, Tara Playfair-Scott, did not return a Wednesday email seeking clarification. Calls to members of Powell's inner circle were not returned. Paul Doyle, the agent for the two Jamaican sprinters, contends something in the supplements the athletes were taking caused it and Xuereb “is the one that provided those.” Xuereb refuses to take the blame, saying he is a “scapegoat” who has done nothing wrong since the Jamaicans hired him in May to provide massage therapy and nutritional help. — AP
