13 Sep 2012

WADA says rules around banning athletes under review

11:47 am on 13 September 2012

The World Anti-Doping Agency says it is currently reviewing the rule which allows Belarussian shot putter Nadzeya Ostapchuk to have her ban from the sport halved.

Facing a two-year ban, Ostapchuk received half that from the Belarus anti-doping agency after her coach Alexander Yefimov confessed to spiking the her food with a banned anabolic steroid.

WADA's director general, David Howman, says the ruling which allows Ostapchuk to have her ban reduced by claiming ignorance is currently under review.

But he says under those rules, if Ostapchuk has satisfied the Belarus anti-doping agency that she was unaware of the drugs, the halved ban is correct.

David Howman says before his agency can make an appeal they must first wait on the International Association of Athletics Federations to review the investigation into Ostapchuk's ban.