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More news articles Shot putters who refused drug test are named
Young British throwers Kieren Kelly and Jamie Stevenson are provisionally suspended
THE athletes who refused to take drug tests when approached by anti-doping officers at Loughborough University last month have finally been named by UKA as Kieren Kelly and Jamie Stevenson.
There has been much speculationover their identity since a story in the Daily Mail last month broke the news. Since then, articles have appeared in the Mail on Sunday, The Times and AW claiming the athletes' coach, Geoff Capes, had been relieved of his duties as an official mentor by England Athletics following the incident.
In a statement on its website, the governing body said: "UKA today confirmed that Kieren Kelly and Jamie Stevenson have been provisionally suspended from all competition after being charged by UK Anti-Doping with having committed an anti-doping rule violation.
"The provisional suspension, which begins with immediate effect, follows the refusal of both athletes to undertake an out-of-competition test on 9th January 2010.
"The athletes will now have the opportunity to respond to the charge against them, including the right to a full hearing of the case. UK Anti-Doping is tasked with overseeing all anti-doping programmes and the management of violations and disciplinary issues in the UK, fully supported by the rules of IAAF and UKA.
"If found guilty the athletes will face a two year ban."
The athletes, who are thought to have refused the test because of the 'dirty' conditions of a toilet area where they were approached, are two of the highest ranked shot putters in the UK. Kelly, 23, from Newham & Essex Beagles, was ranked No.3 in the UK last year with a best of 19.02 indoors. He was second in the Aviva World Trials and UK Championships and also took gold at the BUCS (British Universities) Championships representing Loughborough.
Stevenson, 20, also from Newham, was ranked No.5 last year with a best of 17.85m. He won England Athletics age-group and Inter-Counties titles last year and competed for Britain at the 2008 IAAF World Junior Championships.
Surprisingly, both athletes competed last weekend too - despite the allegations of breaking anti-doping rules rumbling around in the background. The duo placed one-two in the shot at the Woodies DIY Irish Championships in Belfast, with Kelly throwing 18.85m and Stevenson 16.98m.
England Athletics, meanwhile, has told AW in the past week that stripping Capes of his role was not linked to the drug test incident. To clarify their position, England Athletics said: "England Athletics can confirm that Geoff Capes has previously been used on a consultancy basis working with club coaches. We are no longer using his services."
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