Athletics - First-time doping offenders may get four-year ban

08/06/2006

The IAAF originally reduced its four-year bans to two years to have a common anti-doping policy with other sports.

Alarmed by the case of Olympic champion Justin Gatlin, the world governing body of athletics wants to reintroduce four-year bans for first-time serious doping offenders.

Calling the Gatlin case a "disaster for our sport," IAAF chief Lamine Diack said the International Association of Athletics Federation was prepared to go alone in imposing four-year bans.

The IAAF originally reduced its four-year bans to two years to have a common anti-doping policy with other sports.

The proposal on longer suspensions will be put before the next congress of the IAAF, in Osaka, Japan, in August 2007, Diack said.

Serious offences

The world anti-doping code, signed by most major sports federations, provides for two-year bans for first-time doping offenders.

The four-year bans would be valid for serious offences, such as taking performance-boosting steroids and blood doping, while penalties forstimulants would remain less severe.

Gatlin, the Olympic and world 100-meter champion, will get a lifetime ban from the sport's international governing body if he is found guilty of doping. He disclosed last month that he tested positive for testosterone or other prohibited steroids after a relay race in Kansas in April. If his test were confirmed, it would be Gatlin's second offence, and would mean a lifetime ban from the sport.

Gatlin tied Jamaica's Asafa Powell in May for the world record in the 100 at 9.77 seconds, but he would lose the record if proven guilty of doping.