European indoor gold medalist banned for failing drugs test

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Nigel Levine won a European outdoor relay gold in 2014 and an indoor relay gold in 2013

British Olympic sprinter Nigel Levine has been banned from all sport for four years after failing a drugs test. The European indoor gold medallist was provisionally suspended in February.

And UK Anti-Doping has now confirmed the 29-year-old has tested positive for banned asthma drug clenbuterol following an out-of-competition test on 24 November 2017.

Levine was part of Britain’s 4x400m team that competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Nigel Levine won a European outdoor relay gold in 2014 and an indoor relay gold in 2013

Clenbuterol is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited list because it is deemed a performance-enhancing drug and can induce weight loss.

Levine, an indoor and outdoor European 4×400 metre relay champion, has not raced since he broke his pelvis in a motorbike crash in Spain in January 2017, an accident which also involved compatriot James Ellington.

UKAD chief executive Nicole Sapstead said: “All athletes must adhere to the principle of strict liability, and are solely responsible for any substances found in their system.

“Mr Levine is an elite athlete, who has competed at the Olympic Games, European and World Championships, and has received significant anti-doping education throughout his career.

“It is up to role models such as Mr Levine to uphold the highest standards when it comes to anti-doping, ensuring they check all supplements thoroughly and are 100 per cent certain they know that what they are consuming is not prohibited.” (BBC)

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