DENVER (AP) — The U.S. and International Olympic committees have asked the highest court in sports for a ruling on a contentious anti-doping rule that threatens to keep American sprinter LaShawn Merritt from defending his 400-meter title at the London 2012 Games.
The USOC and IOC asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport for clarity on the so-called “Six Month Rule,” which bars any athlete who has received an anti-doping ban of a half year or more from competing in the next Olympics.
Merritt, winner of the 400 meters in Beijing and world champion in 2009, received a 21-month suspension after testing positive for a banned substance found in a male enhancement product. His ban ends this July, but under the IOC rule in its current form, he still would be ineligible for London.