US sprinter Merritt accepts provisional suspension

Olympic and world champion sprinter LaShawn Merritt accepted a provisional suspension after testing positive for a banned drug.



A release from Merritt’s lawyer Howard Jacobs said the athlete used an over-the-counter male enhancement product that contained substances that caused him to fail three successive tests from October to January.



Merritt, who won Olympic gold medals in the 400 and as a member of the

4 x 400 relay in Beijing, says he hopes his family, friends and sponsors will forgive him for making a foolish and immature mistake.



He will not compete until the case has been decided.



USA Track & Field CEO Doug Logan said in a release he was disgusted by this entire episode.



Logan says Merritt has now put his entire career under a cloud and in the process made himself the object of jokes.



Merritt was recently notified that the presence of DHEA was the cause of his positive test.