Scots runner Traynor gets two-year ban from sport for cocaine use
● GB international athlete admitted he took drug during a night out in Glasgow
The Scottish long-distance runner Luke Traynor has been banned from all sport for two years after testing positive for cocaine.
The 26-year-old was suspended in July last year after testing positive for traces of the drug following a sample collected at the Vitality London 10k race on 27 May 2019, and faced a potential fouryear ban.
Traynor’s assertion that the positive sample was the result of an out-of-competition use of the drug unrelated to sport performance was backed by an independent expert. UK Anti-doping (UKAD) took this into account and for that reason the ban is two years.
Traynor has already served more than a year of the ban, with the period of ineligibility running from 27 May 2019 until midnight on 26 May 2021.
A statement from UKAD said: “Mr Traynor explained that the AAF [Adverse Analytical Finding] was as a result of out-of-competition use, which an independent expert and UK Anti-doping (UKAD) considered a timely admission.”
Cocaine is listed under section S6(a) of the World Antidoping Agency 2019 Prohibited List as a stimulant.
Pat Myhill, UKAD’S director of operations, warned athletes on the dangers of recreational drugs and the impact they could have on their careers.
“We are urging athletes to consider the significant risk that goes hand in hand with using cocaine,” said Myhill. “Athletes should be aware that cocaine, used out-of-competition, often stays in the system. If an athlete takes cocaine outof-competition and then tests positive in-competition, they will be committing an ADRV [Anti Doping Rule Violation] and may be subject to a ban from sport.”
Traynor is a British international long-distance and cross-country runner. He competed for Great Britain at the 2019 World Cross-country Championships and the 2018 World Half Marathon Championships.
He has also represented Great Britain in the European Cross-country Championships at U20 and U23 level.
He took the cocaine during a night out in Glasgow.
UKAD’S written judgment said: “In admitting the ADRV, Mr Traynor explained that his ingestion of cocaine was not intentional as that term is contemplated by IAAF ADR Article 10.2.3.
“Mr Traynor asserts that on the evening of 24 May 2019 he was out drinking in Glasgow. Mr Traynor states that he was offered cocaine at approximately 2:00am on 25 May 2019, which he accepted and ingested intranasally.
“He states that this was the first and only time that he had ingested cocaine.”
Traynor was critical yesterday of UKAD’S handling of the case.
Writing on Twitter, the Glasgow runner said: “Glad this is settled. However serious questions need to be asked over the professionalism of UKAD. My case was a lot more straight forward than most yet UKAD made mistakes with facts, even sent me draft reports. I wasn’t forewarned about the decision as promised, saw it online.”
Traynor, who made
his
Great Britain debut in 2018, apologised for his actions last year, saying he had made an “incredibly stupid and uncharacteristic mistake”.
He added: “I am sorry to my family, friends, coaches, sponsors and anybody who has supported my progress at any stage of my career. I want to make it completely clear that my violation was in no relation to sport or enhancing performance.
“This happened as a one-off and in a purely social situation with a drug I should never had taken.”
“Iamsorrytomy family, friends, coaches, sponsors and anybody who has supported my progress at any stage of my career”