Tyler Hamilton

[David Ayers]

Am I right in thinking the b sample taken by the UCI proved positive? If so, where does this go now? And how valid is this new test? Anyone?

[brownie]

Talk of Deja vu. Latest news from the doping front.

One of the two tests proved positive.

Hamilton being cleared of doping violations is just one of the latest joke from the medics officials of the cycling world. The guy has been caught thrice in recent weeks. And he now has been cleared by the IOC!

From Reuters:

Russia to challenge Hamilton doping decision

MOSCOW, Sept 28 (Reuters) -- Russia are to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after American cyclist Tyler Hamilton was last week cleared of doping violations by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Hamilton twice tested positive for a blood transfusion, first in Athens on August 18 after winning the Olympic time trial gold medal and then following his victory in a time trial in this month's Tour of Spain.

However, the IOC said the result of the B sample in Athens was "non-conclusive" because the sample had been destroyed by being deep-frozen.

Hamilton would have lost his gold medal if his B test was positive with Russia's Vyacheslav Ekimov, who won the event at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 but was second in Athens, being promoted to gold.

Alexander Gusyatnikov, president of the Russian Cycling Federation, said Russia would appeal to the Lausanne-based CAS and criticised the IOC for letting the American off the hook.

"It was simply outrageous," he was quoted as saying in Tuesday's Sport-Express newspaper.

"Any person with commonsense would laugh at the comments by Arnie Ljungqvist, head of the IOC's medical commission, that Hamilton's B sample was destroyed."

Ljungqvist said last week: "The blood sample was unfortunately destroyed. It should not have been deep frozen (in the laboratory). It was human error."

"Hamilton's A sample was deemed clearly positive by a panel of outside experts and was also agreed upon by the chief of the laboratory in Athens."

Gusyatnikov added: "Well, it's good that they didn't manage to destroy his (Hamilton's) B sample from the Vuelta.

"In any case, if a man tests positive for a blood transfusion twice in a month, you can say with all certainty that person used blood doping on a regular basis.

"It's that simple."

Edited September 29, 2004 by brownie