Cuba Says IAAF Sotomayor Ban is Unacceptable

HAVANA – Cuba Tuesday condemned as unacceptable a ban imposed by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) on world high-jump record-holder Javier Sotomayor for a disputed doping offence.

‘We reaffirm once again our total confidence in Sotomayor,’ Humberto Rodriguez, the head of Cuba’s state sports institute INDER, told the Cuban news agency Prensa Latina.

The IAAF announced earlier Tuesday that its arbitration panel had banned Sotomayor from athletics competition until 30 July, 2001 for testing positive for cocaine during the Pan-American Games at Winnipeg last year, a doping charge which has been strongly disputed by Cuba.

‘It’s totally unacceptable … they obviously didn’t study the case in depth,’ Rodriguez said, adding that Cuba would continue to fight to clear Sotomayor’s name.

The decision by the IAAF panel means that the 32-year-old 1992 Barcelona Games champion will miss the Sydney Games in September. He had been due to start final Olympic training in Spain this week.

Sotomayor has repeatedly denied taking any illegal stimulants, claiming his sample was manipulated and he was a victim of a plot.

Two weeks ago, Sotomayor made a final attempt to clear his name when he appeared before the arbitration panel in Monaco.

After the positive test, Sotomayor was cleared by the Cuban national federation. Even President Fidel Castro became involved in the dispute, claiming the high jumper and other Cuban athletes were victims of a conspiracy.

But the IAAF was not satisfied with the decision and referred the case to its arbitration panel whose decision to uphold the two-year ban is final with no chance of an appeal.

Reuters

Source:SOCOG Olympics.com