The sprinter Nigel Levine, who has been an integral part of Great Britain’s 4x400m relay squad for nearly a decade, has been provisionally suspended after failing a drug test.
Levine, who has won nine world and European championship medals, was reported to have tested positive for clenbuterol before Christmas. The drug is used to help asthma sufferers but it is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list because it also helps burn fat, builds muscle, and improves athletic performance. The 28-year-old has the right to respond to the charge but if found guilty could receive a four-year ban.
Levine had been hoping to make a comeback after suffering career-threatening injuries last year when he was involved in a motorcycle accident with his Great Britain team-mate James Ellington during a training camp in Tenerife.
Many in the sport suspected Levine would not fully recover from his injuries, which included a fractured pelvis. He was back running before his positive test, dividing his time between an elite squad at Loughborough University and a group trained by Linford Christie, although the former British champion is no longer his primary coach.
A ban for clenbuterol was given to the cyclist Alberto Contador, who was suspended for two years after testing positive at the 2010 Tour de France. The Spaniard claimed it was caused by a contaminated food supplement but he was stripped of the Tour title as well as his victory in the 2011 Giro d’Italia.
UK Athletics said: “Nigel Levine has been provisionally suspended from participating in athletics after being charged with having committed an anti-doping rule violation. The individual now has the opportunity to respond to the charge, including the right to a full hearing of the case.”
Levine, who has won gold and silver 4x400m relay medals at the European championships and three 4x400m world indoor championships relay medals, is yet to comment.
