American track sprinter LaShawn Merritt completed his suspension for a doping violation in July 20111 but the International Olympic Committee still wants to prevent him for competing at the 2012 London Olympics. The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) “six-month rule” prohibits athletes from competing in the Olympic Games after serving suspensions exceeding six months.
The reigning World and Olympic champion claimed his use of banned performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) was unintentional. He reportedly only want to enhance his performance in the bedroom with a penis enlargement product called ExtenZe and had no intentions of cheating.
ExtenZe apparently contains DHEA which is classified as a prohibited anabolic steroid by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) even though it is legally available over-the-counter in a variety of dietary supplements in the United States. Merritt tested positive for DHEA on three different occasions prior to his October 2010 suspension.
Howard Jacobs, a top anti-doping attorney, believes professional athletes who purposely use anabolic steroids are “almost never” caught. He thinks the anti-doping protocols more often victimize athletes who inadvertently consume banned substances through dietary supplements or over the counter medications.
Jacobs, representing the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), is challenging the legality of the IOC’s “six month” rule. The Court of Arbitration for Sport is expected to hand down a verdict in September 2011.
Photo credit: Erik van Leeuwen / Wikimedia
Source:
Associated Press. (August 16, 2011). LaShawn Merritt’s case scheduled for arbitration. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com
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