The CAS rejects the request of Nour-Eddine

London Olympic: The CAS rejects the request of Nour-Eddine Gezzar

London Olympic: The CAS rejects the request of Nour-Eddine Gezzar

London Olympic: The CAS rejects the request of Nour-Eddine Gezzar

London, August 02, 2012 – The ad hoc Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has rejected the urgent application filed by the French runner Nour-Eddine Gezzar (3000m steeple) who was challenging the provisional suspension which had been imposed on him by the French Athletics Federation (FFA) further to a positive doping test with EPO at the French Championships on 17 June 2012.

The decision of temporary suspension was issued by the FFA on 12 July 2012 and confirmed on 25 July 2012, then was confirmed again by the IAAF on 27 July 2012, which immediately extended it at the international level. Nour-Eddine Gezzar had been then removed from the French Athletics team for the London Olympics and his accreditation had been removed by the French NOC.

The athlete considered that some errors have been committed during the anti-doping control procedure and requested to be readmitted in the start list of the 3000m steeplechase heats of 3 August 2012.

A CAS Panel composed of Prof. Massimo Coccia (Italy), President, Mr Michele Bernasconi (Switzerland) and Mr Guédel Ndiaye (Senegal) held a hearing this afternoon from 4pm to 5:30pm. The FFA was represented by its counsels, while the athlete’s agent was heard by telephone; the athlete was not present.

The CAS Panel rendered its decision this evening: it has rejected the application of Nour-Eddine Gezzar, considering that the athlete did not provide sufficient elements to persuade the tribunal to lift the provisional suspension pronounced by the FFA and confirmed by the IAAF.

The full decision with the grounds will be published on the CAS website (www.tas-cas.org) on 3 August 2012. —- CAS