LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The United States Olympic Committee will challenge the IOC on Wednesday over a doping rule that currently bars American sprinter LaShawn Merritt from the 2012 London Games.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport says it intends to issue a verdict in September on the legality of the so-called “six-month rule.”
The IOC rule took effect in 2008 and prevents athletes who receive doping bans of more than six months from competing at the next Summer or Winter Games. The USOC believes that is a second penalty for a single offense.
The IOC insists it is an eligibility issue, not a sanction.
Merritt, the reigning 400-meter champion, served a 21-month ban after testing positive for testosterone prohormones found in a male enhancement product.
