Lewis-Francis Fails Dope Test

[Liam]

Lewis-Francis in failed dope test 

Lewis-Francis anchored the GB 4x100m relay team to gold in Athens

Sprinter Mark Lewis-Francis, who won Olympic relay gold last year, has been given a public warning by UK Athletics after testing positive for cannabis.

He has also been stripped of the silver medal he won in the 60m at this year's Spar European Indoor Championships.

Lewis-Francis, 22, avoided a two-year ban after claiming he ingested the drug passively rather than deliberately.

"My only explanation is that I may have been in the presence of people who were smoking cannabis," said Lewis-Francis.

"I have not knowingly taken this substance and have not attained any performance-enhancing benefits."

A UK Athletics statement said: "Mark Lewis-Francis provided a sample at the European Indoor Championships in Madrid, Spain on 5 March, 2005.

He has received exactly the penalty he should receive under the regulations

"The analysis of the sample identified the presence of cannabis. Cannabis is included as a specified substance on the 2004 Wada (World Anti-Doping Agency) Prohibited List."

The statement continued: "The athlete accepted the substance was present in his sample.

"Mark Lewis-Francis waived his right to a disciplinary hearing which he was entitled to under UK Athletics' and the IAAF's anti-doping rules."

UK Athletics said they were happy to issue a warning rather than a ban because it was the athlete's first anti-doping rule violation.

They were also satisfied that there was no intention to enhance performance.

Had Lewis-Francis been suspended, it would have futher weakened Britain's sprinting team following the loss of Dwain Chambers.

He was banned for two years in February 2004 for testing positive for the designer steroid THG.

"In this case, there is certainly no performance-enhancing effect of cannabis," UK Athletics performance director Dave Collins told BBC Radio Five Live.

"He has received exactly the penalty he should receive under the regulations.

"The removal of the medal is quite a stark reminder that they (athletes) need to take every precaution to make sure they don't get in a position where they breach the doping rules."

Collins added: "I'm sure he's gutted. I'm sure he'll come back and work very hard for the summer."

Lewis-Francis anchored the Great Britain 4x100m relay team to a shock victory in the Athens Games last August.

The West Midlands star edged out former Olympic 100m champion Maurice Greene by just a hundredth of a second to deny hot favourites the United States another gold medal.

It was Britain's first gold in the event for 92 years.

At the European Indoor Championships in Madrid, Lewis-Francis had to settle for second place behind fellow Briton Jason Gardener.

Gardener won in a time of 6.55 seconds, 0.04 ahead of Lewis-Francis, with France's Ronald Pognon in third.

Just an interesting piece of news. What is it with GB sprinters?

[Lowerdeck]

Since when has weed been a performance enhancing drug?