Olympic ban on LaShawn Merritt lifted

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Olympic ban on LaShawn Merritt lifted

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The Olympic champion is looking forward to defending his 400-meter title in London next year.

07 October,2011 01:34 pm

LaShawn Merritt said there were times during his doping suspension that he felt his career was over and training was pointless. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) cleared the way on Thursday for dozens of past doping offenders to compete at next years Olympics after rejecting an International Olympic Committee (IOC) eligibility rule as invalid.The controversial Rule 45, introduced in 2008, banned athletes including Merritt, an Olympic 400 metres champion, from participating at the next Olympic Games if they have been suspended for doping for six months or longer, but the regulation was rejected by CAS as invalid and unenforceable. The Courts ruling means that American Merritt, the highest profile name affected by the decision, can now defend his title in London.CAS said the rule was not in compliance with the IOCs own charter and the World Anti-Doping Agencys code.Merritt was banned for 21 months after testing positive in 2009 and 2010 for a banned substance. His ban ended in July and he competed at the world athletics championships in South Korea in August, winning the silver medal behind Grenadas Kirani James and gold in the 4x400m relay.