NEW DELHI (AP) — An Indian anti-doping panel has changed the start dates of one-year bans on four women 400-meter runners, making them eligible for the London Olympics.
Ashwini Akkunji and Sini Jose, members of relay quartets that won gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, were among six athletes banned from the time of their provisional suspensions last July.
However, the panel ruled that four runners deserved leniency as they did not intentionally take banned substances.
Since the bans have to be for at least one year because of World Anti-Doping Agency rules, the start date was changed to when the urine samples were collected last June. The deadline for sending Olympic entries is July 3.
