Three-time Olympian Sherone Simpson has admitted to learning hard lessons from the circumstances that led to her 18-month drug ban.

The 2008 100-metre silver medallist and her former MVP club mate, former 100-metre world record holder, Asafa Powell, both tested positive for the stimulant Oxilofrine at the national championships in 2013 that saw them both banned until December 2014.

They both blame their positive tests on Chris Xuereb; a Canadian fitness trainer hired by their agent Paul Doyle, and who they said bought the tainted supplement Epiphany D1. Both athletes are to appear before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on July 7 and 8, respectively, seeking to have their bans reduced. It was the CAS that recently upheld an appeal to suspend their respective bans and cleared the way for the athletes to compete at the national championships last weekend.

opened her eyes

The experience, Simpson said, forced her to reassess the way she goes about her life and has opened her eyes to certain realities.

"It's hard for me to trust, and after all that has happened I know my true friends so I have learned so much. Everything happens for a reason and it's just God's will for it to happen. I have learned a lot from it," she said.

She also admits to being disappointed at the approach taken by the local anti-doping authorities.

"It's been very frustrating. It's been a fight since day one, but I am happy that Asafa and I have been really strong," she said.

"I did not expect the fight to be so hard, especially from our own Jamaicans, but we fought through it. We are not at the end but so far I think we have held up well."

learning new things

On the track, she has been learning new things as well. Shortly after she was informed of the positive tests Simpson split acrimoniously with the MVP track club and its head coach, Stephen Francis. She has since been training with veteran sprint coach Loren Seagrave in Florida. Under his guidance, she has been learning a new sprinting technique that she hopes will see her return to the pinnacle of women's sprints. She said it's almost like starting all over again. "I would not say square one, but it's a new technique and to come out here and try to work on that technique in competition, I do feel good and I just want to continue training and I am very happy," said the 2006 Commonwealth Games 200-metre champion. "Coach has been good, training camp has been good."

-L.L.