6sheep
22-08-06, 11:27 PM
c+p`d from the beeb (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/5271812.stm)
World and Olympic 100m champion Justin Gatlin has accepted an eight-year ban for failing a doping test.
The American sprinter has avoided a lifetime penalty in exchange for co-operating with doping authorities in the fight against drugs in sport.
The positive test was the second of 24-year-old Gatlin's career.
The US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) said the "exceptional circumstances" surrounding his first positive test were also taken into account.
Gatlin's first offence came when he was in college.
It was accepted that medicine he was taking to control attention-deficit disorder was the reason for the failed test.
He has an opportunity to go to a panel of arbitrators and argue exceptional circumstances
Usada's Travis Tygart
Under the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) code a second ban should result in a lifetime ban unless the athlete can produce a compelling reason to have it reduced.
Gatlin's second positive test was for testosterone at a meeting in Kansas in April.
In making the agreement with the Usada, Gatlin can still appeal to an arbitration panel in the next six months to have the penalty reduced.
However, if he does so he will not be able to argue that the test was faulty.
"To his credit, it's recognition that the science is reliable," said Usada general counsel Travis Tygart.
"Instead of wasting a bunch of resources attempting to create smoke where there's not any, he's acknowledging the accuracy of the positive test.
"In exchange for his agreement to cooperate, we've recognised the nature of his first offence."
Despite his youth the eight-year ban all but ends Gatlin's career, unless he can have it further reduced during arbitration.
"He accepted liability," said Tygart. "He agreed not to raise technical arguments or frivolous defences.
"He has an opportunity to go to a panel of arbitrators and argue exceptional circumstances."
World and Olympic 100m champion Justin Gatlin has accepted an eight-year ban for failing a doping test.
The American sprinter has avoided a lifetime penalty in exchange for co-operating with doping authorities in the fight against drugs in sport.
The positive test was the second of 24-year-old Gatlin's career.
The US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) said the "exceptional circumstances" surrounding his first positive test were also taken into account.
Gatlin's first offence came when he was in college.
It was accepted that medicine he was taking to control attention-deficit disorder was the reason for the failed test.
He has an opportunity to go to a panel of arbitrators and argue exceptional circumstances
Usada's Travis Tygart
Under the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) code a second ban should result in a lifetime ban unless the athlete can produce a compelling reason to have it reduced.
Gatlin's second positive test was for testosterone at a meeting in Kansas in April.
In making the agreement with the Usada, Gatlin can still appeal to an arbitration panel in the next six months to have the penalty reduced.
However, if he does so he will not be able to argue that the test was faulty.
"To his credit, it's recognition that the science is reliable," said Usada general counsel Travis Tygart.
"Instead of wasting a bunch of resources attempting to create smoke where there's not any, he's acknowledging the accuracy of the positive test.
"In exchange for his agreement to cooperate, we've recognised the nature of his first offence."
Despite his youth the eight-year ban all but ends Gatlin's career, unless he can have it further reduced during arbitration.
"He accepted liability," said Tygart. "He agreed not to raise technical arguments or frivolous defences.
"He has an opportunity to go to a panel of arbitrators and argue exceptional circumstances."