The British Olympic Association (BOA) today confirmed that the skier, Alain Baxter, has successfully appealed against a BOA bye-law which states that any person found guilty of a doping offence is ineligible for consideration as a future member of the Great Britain Olympic Team.

The BOA’s Chief Executive Simon Clegg, said: ‘I am pleased that the Independent Appeal Panel have decided to accept Alain’s appeal and have restored his eligibility to represent Great Britain at future Winter Olympic Games.

‘Alain’s case has already attracted considerable publicity and today’s announcement should allow him to draw a line under this matter and concentrate on his future performance. We wish him well and hope that he will be competing for medals with Team GB in Turin in 2006.’

Mr Baxter was found guilty of a doping offence on 21 March 2002 by the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) following a positive test for the banned substance methamphetamine following the slalom race at the Olympic Winter Games 2002 in Salt Lake City. He was disqualified from the event and the matter was then passed to the International Ski Federation (FIS) who subsequently imposed a 3- month ban on Mr Baxter stating that he was guilty of inadvertently committing a doping offence. The ban expired on 18 August 2002.

The BOA’s Independent Appeal Panel considered the appeal and found Mr Baxter’s appeal should be allowed on the basis that the offence was minor and that significant mitigating circumstances existed in relation to the offence.

The Panel decided Mr Baxter’s lifetime Olympic ban should be commuted and that Mr Baxter’s eligibility for consideration as a member of any future Great Britain Olympic Team should be restored with immediate effect.

The BOA strongly opposes all uses by sports people of illegal drugs and continues to find the use of any banned substances taken to enhance performance as totally unacceptable.

For more details contact:
Philip Pope or Becki Middleton, BOA, press office
(t) +44 20 871 2677.