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Home : Sport : Jessica Hardy withdraws from Olympic team

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Jessica Hardy withdraws from Olympic team

Clara NewsDiscover.com on 03 August, 2008 11:50:46 | 85 times read

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Swimmer Jessica Hardy withdrew from the U.S. Olympic team , four weeks after testing positive for a banned substance at the Olympic trials. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced Hardy's decision, saying she did so "in the best interests of the team." The 21-year-old from Long Beach, Calif., could have contested the drug test results before the American Arbitration Association and potentially filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which would have kept her first Olympic berth in doubt until the eve of the games tha -

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t open Aug. 8.

"While some might have chosen to exhaust their legal options to try to force their way into the games, Jessica instead chose to put her team's interests ahead of her own," said Travis Tygart, chief executive officer of USADA.

Hardy tested positive for a low level of clenbuterol, a prohibited anabolic agent, at the trials on July 4. She didn't immediately return a cell phone message left Friday by The Associated Press, but Hardy told the AP in a July 25 interview that she was innocent and said she had no idea how she tested positive for clenbuterol. "I had never even heard of this drug," she said. "I've never wanted to do anything remotely close to doping. It's never, ever crossed my mind. I've never been approached about doing it. It's never been an issue my entire career. It's the last thing I would ever do."

Hardy qualified for the Olympics in two individual events — the 100-meter breaststroke and 50 freestyle — and the 400 free relay. She was a strong contender to medal in her specialty, the breaststroke. Hardy's withdrawal allows USA Swimming to place swimmers already on the team in her open events, according to executive director Chuck Wielgus.

A pane - l from the American Arbitration Association issued a decision that was jointly agreed to by Hardy and USADA after Hardy had a full opportunity to review the laboratory test results and to have those results analyzed by independent experts. Hardy did not contest the laboratory findings and was granted additional time by the arbitration panel to investigate possible causes of her positive drug test. The decision allows for a two-year period of ineligibility but allows Hardy to come back to the panel to present evidence that could reduce her period of ineligibility.

Hardy was tested three times during the trials in Omaha, Neb. The results were negative for the samples taken on July 1, - after she won the 100 breaststroke, and on July 6, shortly after she finished second in the 50 free. But Hardy's "A" and backup "B" samples both came back positive from the test on July 4, when she finished fourth in the 100 free.

Clara Luciana, Yogyakarta - (2924 spacer.gif/wikan)