US Olympic champion fails drugs tests
Source: Agencies |
April 24, 2010, Saturday
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OLYMPIC and world 400 meters champion LaShawn Merritt has failed three doping tests for a banned substance and accepted a provisional suspension.
"LaShawn Merritt has accepted a provisional suspension as a result of positive drug tests caused by his use of an over-the-counter male enhancement product," the American athlete's attorney Howard Jacobs said in a statement. "His voluntary acceptance of a provisional suspension means that he has chosen not to compete until the case has been decided," the statement added.
The US Anti-Doping Agency confirmed the positives contained prohormones of the banned male sex hormone testosterone and said its investigation was continuing. Should the 23-year-old receive a two-year suspension, it would prevent him defending his world title next year and seriously hamper his preparations for the 2012 Olympics.
"I am disgusted by this entire episode," USA Track & Field chief executive Doug Logan said.
Merritt won individual 400 meters gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2009 world championships and led the US to victory in the 4x400 meters relay in both competitions.
His victory by almost a second over defending champion Jeremy Wariner at the Beijing Games was the largest winning margin in the event for over 100 years.
Merritt's statement said he had used the over-the-counter product, which contained DHEA and pregnenolone, following the 2009 season. "(It) caused LaShawn Merritt to test positive on three successive tests in October 2009, December 2009, and January 2010," the statement said.
Merritt, who asked for forgiveness for his mistake, was not notified of the positive tests until March. DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is an endogenous hormone and serves as precursor to male and female sex hormones (androgens and estrogens).
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