Brazilian 800 metres runner Fabiane Dos Santos has been banned for life after she tested positive for a male hormone in a doping case which has rocked the World Athletics Championships.
The Brazilian athletics federation (CBAt) confirmed on Tuesday that a urine sample given by Dos Santos after the Brazilian Grand Prix meeting in Rio de Janeiro on May 6th had shown the presence of the male hormone testosterone/epitestosterone.
"The testosterone found in Dos Santos' body comes from a steroid applied to her body and was not produced by her body," said the CBAt.
Dos Santos, 25, had already tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid nandrolone in 1995. Under the rules of the sport she is now banned for life as a repeat offender, said Martinho Nobre Dos Santos, the secretary-general of the Brazilian federation.
The muscular Brazilian runner had made startling progress in the two-lap event this year, improving her personal best by four seconds to 1min 57.16sec, putting her second in the world on times.
She had been a medal favourite for the women's 800 metres at the ongoing World Championships in Edmonton, Canada.
An spokesman for world governing body IAAF said: "The IAAF can confirm the suspension, by the Brazilian athletics federation, of the athlete Fabiane Dos Santos.
"She tested positive for testosterone at the Brazilian Grand Prix in Rio de Janeiro on May 6th. Confidentiality was maintained in this case until the 'B' sample results were confirmed."
AFP