The ban imposed on Jamaican sprint star Merlene Ottey for failing a drugs test has been lifted by the International Amateur Athletic Federation. In a statement athletics' governing body explained that its arbitration panel had decided that there were not the grounds to maintain the suspension of Merlene Ottey from competition. Ottey, the former 200m world champion, tested positive for nandrolone on July 5 last year in Lucerne, Switzerland, with the case coming to light just days before the World Athletics Championships in Seville.
Meanwhile former Olympic 100 metres champion Linford Christie will have to wait at least three weeks to have his positive drugs test considered by the International Amateur Athletic Federation panel. The panel was due to meet at the IAAF's headquarters in Monaco this week to consider the case of Christie and two other Britons, European 200 metres champion Doug Walker and 400 metres hurdler Gary Cadogan who tested positive for Nandrolone. However the necessary documentation has yet to arrive in Monaco.
