Swiss sprinter suspended from Olympics for failing doping test

Swiss sprinter Alex Wilson has been suspended from the Olympic Games after failing a drugs test.

 

Wilson who is registered to compete in the men's 100m and 200m events, was provisionally suspended by Anti-Doping Switzerland in April after testing positive for the banned steroid trenbolone in an out-of-competition test in March.

 After appealing the suspension on the grounds of unknowingly ingesting the substance after eating contaminated meat in the United States, his ban was lifted by the disciplinary chamber of Swiss Olympic, the umbrella organisation for Swiss sport and the National Olympic Committee, at the start of July.

 

However, global governing body World Athletics appealed Swiss Olympic’s decision to lift the provisional suspension to the CAS, which set aside the decision and re-imposed the ban.

 

Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said in a statement released on Wednesday July 28; 

 

"The Panel concluded that the provisional suspension imposed on the Athlete on 28 April 2021 should not have been lifted by the Disciplinary Chamber of Swiss Olympic. 

"It follows that the decision of the disciplinary chamber of Swiss Olympic dated 2 July 2021 is set aside and the provisional suspension shall be reinstated with immediate effect.

"The present CAS decision does not prejudge in any way the decision which will be rendered by Swiss Olympic later on, once the disciplinary proceedings will have been completed."

 

Swiss Olympic has underlined that the presumption of innocence still holds for Wilson.