OLYMPIC CHAMP BRIANNA BANNED

USADA impose penalty for her whereabouts rule violation

LOS ANGELES out-of-competition tests over the course of 2016 and did not test positive.

She also passed all eight incompetition drug tests she took last year.

But Brianna was unavailable for tests on April 27, September 13 and September 27, for reasons that appear in the written report by the panel from the American Arbitration Association that heard her appeal to be mixups.

A statement released by her representatives said at least one of the missed tests was the result of confusion over the computer programme used to give whereabouts to drug testing officials.

While the panel found that a violation had indeed occurred, in their written decision they noted that the case involved “the imposition of a serious penalty on a brilliant athlete who is not charged or suspected of using banned substances of any kind.”

“This is a first offense, she had been frequently tested for years, and she has a perfect drug-free record, both in and out-of-competition,” the panel said of Brianna.

The arbitrators added that Brianna showed “no evidence of avoiding testing, masking drug use, or using drugs.”

The abitrators noted that two of the violations came after Brianna’ Rio victory, when she was traveling in one instance to her home state of Florida to be honoured and in another to be received by US President Barack Obama, honours that “could reasonably distract her from her quotidian (though important) responsibilities.”

They ruled that Brianna had shown “the least degree of fault” and therefore made her suspension for one year only, the least allowable penalty.

“It is with my deepest regrets that I will have to miss the 2017 outdoor season,” Brianna said in a statement.

“I accept full responsibility for the mistakes that have led to my suspension, and am disappointed that I will have to miss this coming outdoor season, as a result of my confusion over how the whereabouts programme worked.” AFP

I accept full responsibility for the mistakes that have led to my suspension.