24/02/2004

Top British athlete hit with two-year ban

One of Britain's top athletes has been banned from competition for two years for taking a performance-enhancing drug.

Dwain Chambers, the current European 100 metres champion and a serious medal contender for this year's Olympic Games, was found to have traces of the steroid THG in a sample he provided last August.

Mr Chambers was suspended from competition last November, and today's ban will be backdated to run from the moment he was suspended. The ruling also includes a life ban from competing in the Olympic Games.

While not listed among the sport's proscribed substances, the UK Athletic's hearing concluded that THG was chemically similar to other performance-enhancing drugs.

The 25-year-old athlete now has 60 days to appeal the decision.

(gmcg)

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