PARIS (AP) — The French Athletics Federation has upheld the suspension of Olympic steeplechase runner Nordine Gezzar after his backup sample tested positive for the banned blood-booster EPO.
Gezzar was ruled out of the Olympics last week after the federation said he had tested positive on June 17 during the French elite championships. The 32-year-old runner finished fourth at the European Championships in Helsinki, Finland.
Gezzar could be banned for life for a second doping offense. He served a two-year suspension after testing positive for a banned anabolic steroid and a diuretic in 2006.
The FAA says that a decision on the ban will be made at the next meeting of its disciplinary commission.
The London Olympics open Friday.