Jamaica's image has been tainted before the start of the Beijing Olympic games as a member of the athletics team has tested positive for a banned substance.

Mike Fennell, head of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), said the drug cheat was tested at the Jamaican national trials from June 27-29 but categorically stated that it wasn't one of the big names.  He also said the culprit wasn't female.

"That said, it is still a major blow for us and we take this very seriously," he said.

"I have instructed that the athlete in question be withdrawn from the team. He will not compete at the Olympics."

The test was done by an anti-doping unit working in conjunction with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in Kingston.

It's not the first doping violation by a Jamaican but the islands' recent success has raised many eyebrows and created suspicions especially since the country still has not set up a fully operational anti-doping agency of its own.

The LA Times recently quoted Victor Conte, former chief of Balco Labs as saying: "To see the fastest people in the world coming from one island (Jamaica), I'm highly suspicious. I believe there's rampant use of performance-enhancing drugs in the Caribbean."

Jamaica has the fastest man in the world for 2008 in both the 100m and 200m, four of the top six in the womens' 100m as well as the four fastest women in 2008 for 200 meters.    The previous world record holder for the men's 100m is Jamaican and the island also produced the fastest women in the world for 2006 (Sherone Simpson) and 2007 (Veronica Campbell).

The BBC website recently ran a report on doping in athletics and Adrian Lorde, head of the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (RADO), stated his concerns about the amount of drug testing done in Jamaica, which is not a member of the organization.

"I would like to think they do that testing there but I really don't know. I am concerned they don't have the programme in place they should have based on the amount of success they have," the BBC quoted Lorde as saying.

Regardless, Jamaican athletes have routinely been tested by the IAAF on and off the track.  Bolt, Powell and Campbell-Brown are tested at every international meet they compete at.

However, the fact that it's not a "big" name that has been caught still doesn't ease the sense of embarrasment and disappointment the JOA feels.

"Everybody is extremely disappointed that one of our athletes has tested positive, but I think it is a warning to everybody that we have a very robust testing system in place, which is working," he said.