MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) -British bobsleigh athlete Arran Gulliver will miss the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics after being handed a two-year doping ban.
The world championship medallist in the four-man event had received a provisional suspension earlier this year when an out-of-competition doping test in March showed an adverse finding for the drug ostarine.
The International Testing Agency (ITA) said on Thursday that Gulliver did not challenge the ban, but "established that the anti-doping rule violation was not intentional."
Ostarine can enhance performance by promoting lean muscle growth and improving strength.
British Bobsleigh & Skeleton said in a statement that it is "committed to the eradication of doping" and fully supports the ITA's decision.
"We note the ITA's ruling that the violation arose as a result of contamination and was not intentional and we welcome Arran's desire to now work to ensure others do not make the same mistake."
The 28-year-old was part of Britain's four-man team that won silver at the 2023 world championships and bronze at the worlds in March.
Gulliver's suspension runs until March, 2027.
The ITA said the ban included the disqualification of competitive results from March 2, 2025 onwards, meaning his world bronze medal result is disqualified. The team result, according to the BBC, stands.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing in ManchesterEditing by Toby Davis)
