ANKARA - Turkish sporting authorities on Wednesday once again raised to two years a ban imposed on runner Sureyya Ayhan for violating anti-doping rules, a government official told AFP.
The decision follows a warning by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) that a one-year reduction granted to the European 1500m champion earlier this year was in breach of anti-doping rules.
"Ayhan will be now be banned until October 1, 2006," the official said.
A sports disciplinary board suspended Ayhan for two years in February for violating anti-doping rules, but later reduced the ban to one year.
The runner was accused of shying away from a doping test and trying to submit someone else's urine sample ahead of the 2004 Athens Olympics.
She and her coach and husband Yucel Kop rejected the charges, but admitted to a serious dispute with doping inspectors over how the sample should be taken.
Ayhan withdrew from the Olympics, citing a hamstring injury, but the Turkish media reported that the real reason for her pullout was the doping scandal.
The IAAF last month filed an appeal against Turkey's decision to reduce her ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the world's top sports court.
"The CAS may now decide that the required penalty has been given and drop the case," the Turkish official said.
06/15/2005 15:05 GMT