Runner Palomeque kicked out of Games
Diego Palomeque has been banned from the Olympics for a doping offence
Colombian 400 metres runner Diego Palomeque has been formally excluded from the Olympic Games for the doping offence which led to him being provisionally suspended before his heat race.
The 18-year-old was due to run on August 4 but was withdrawn when a urine test revealed high levels of testosterone. Palomeque claimed the test result was caused by injecting himself with a homeopathic product, which he believed contained no prohibited substances and would aid his recovery from a hamstring injury.
The IOC announced: "Professor Christiane Ayotte, scientific expert, confirmed that, based on the composition mentioned on the packaging of the product, which does not mention testosterone as an ingredient, and due to the description of the product as homeopathic (i.e. using very diluted concentrations of its ingredients), such product is unlikely to have caused the adverse analytical finding."
Palomeque's coach Raul Diaz Quejada told an International Olympic Committee disciplinary commission hearing that he had injected Palomeque with the product five times during July. However, Professor Ayotte raised questions over the case.
Confirming Palomeque would be wiped from all London 2012 records, the IOC stated: "The International Olympic Committee today announced that it has excluded Colombian athlete Diego Palomeque Echavarria from the Games of the XXX Olympiad in London."
In its conclusion, the IOC commission urged Colombian officials to examine the case and consider sanctions, and said Palomeque's file would be passed to athletics' ruling body the IAAF.
