Nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis has been cleared of drug offences by the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF).
Lewis was one of 19 American medallists named by Wade Exum, theformer United States Olympic Committee director for drug controlfrom 1991 to 2000, who released documents revealing more than 100positive drug tests involving US athletes from 1988 to 2000.
Included in the documents are details implicating athletes whowon 19 Olympic medals from 1984 to 2000.
Lewis was just one of three gold medallists at the 1988 Olympics, along with the 200m winner Joe DeLoach and the 400m hurdlechampion Andre Phillips, who Exum said tested positive at the 1988Olympic trials in Indianapolis.
But the IAAF said today there was no case to answer.
The IAAF said it had reviewed the documents from 1988 whichshowed there had been eight positive findings at the US OlympicTrials for ephedrine and ephedrine-related compounds in lowconcentration.
"The IAAF Medical Committee felt satisfied, however, on thebasis of the information received that the cases had been properlyconcluded by the USOC as "negative cases" in accordance with rulesand regulations in place at the time and no further action wastaken.
"For this reason, the athletes concerned ... who went on tocompete at the Olympic Games in Seoul were eligible to do so inaccordance with IAAF Rules."
Lewis said last week the USOC at the time routinely let athletesoff with a warning.
The USOC first disqualified him then accepted his appeal, whichwas based on his assertion that he had taken the stimulantinadvertently through an over-the-counter herbal remedy.
AFP