Arbitrators: Merritt maybe eligible for Olympics

(AP):

LaShawn Merritt might be eligible for the 2012 Olympics after all. On Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said the defending Olympic champion in the 400 metres would be ineligible for the London Games because of an IOC rule that automatically disqualifies any athlete banned for more than six months.

But the arbitrators who banned him for 21 months refute that. In their decision Monday, they said that because the IOC agrees to follow the world anti-doping code, it must adhere to their decision, which says barring Merritt from the London Games would essentially extend his ban to three years and is not an "appropriate consequence of his anti-doping violation".

Merritt is banned for using a prohibited substance found in an over-the-counter male enhancement product. He was given 21 months instead of the usual two-year suspension because he cooperated with authorities and was found to not have taken the drug to enhance athletic performance.

The suspension ends in July 2011, which would make him eligible to defend his World Championship title next year. But the IOC rule could prevent him from going for back-to-back Olympic gold in 2012.

Each case different

In a statement Tuesday, the IOC said each case is different and subject to the relevant legal procedure.

"But the IOC's rules are clear, coming into force just before Beijing in July 2008. The Osaka rule states very clearly that any athlete sanctioned for more than six months will be banned from participation in the next edition of the Games," the statement said. "This rule is still

valid and applies to all athletes."

In its decision this week, the arbitration panel went so far as to say the IOC, not Merritt, has to appeal the case - and urged them to do so before the next Olympics get much closer.