Two-year ban for British hurdler

Callum Priestley, the British hurdler, has been handed over a two-year ban and possibly face a lifetime Olympic ban after testing positive for drugs.

UK Anti-doping confirmed that Priestley's suspension will run until February 2012 after he tested positive for Clenbuterol, the steroid used in asthma medications.

From Guardian.co.uk:

The National Anti-Doping Panel's written decision says Priestley, who won the 60m hurdles at the world indoor trials in February, was unable to explain how the Clenbuterol came to be in his body. He initially suggested that the most likely source was contamination of supplements that he had been taking on the advice of a nutritionist, but scientific tests have failed to detect any trace of those.

"The athlete now believes that the most likely source was meat from animals or poultry which had been treated with steroids, but again it has not proved possible to produce any scientific or other evidence to substantiate the theory that any meat which he ate in South Africa was so contaminated," says the NADP report.

As Priestley was unable to prove no fault or negligence on his part, the panel imposed a two-year ban back-dated to February this year when he was initially suspended. He does have the right to appeal.

Andy Parkinson, the chief executive of UK Anti-Doping, said that this case should act as a warning to all athletes that there is no place to hide from their responsibilities, no matter where they are, or whether they are competing.