Doctor stands by Christie results

The doctor who tested Linford Christie's positive urine sample and found it to be 100 times above the legal nandrolone level yesterday stood by the results and insisted the drug could not have been produced naturally in the body.

Dr Wilhelm Schanzer, head of the International Olympic Committee accredited laboratory in Cologne where the sample was sent, said: "Of all the nandrolone cases that we've had recently, this was one of the clearest."

Christie, 39, a strident campaigner for drug-free athletics, was last week suspended from competition after testing positive for nandrolone at an indoor meeting in Germany.

Asked about speculation that Christie's test had been 100 times above the legal level - around 200 nanograms per millilitre - Dr Schanzer said "The figure you give is correct, I think. I know that was in the report. I wrote the report."

Dr Schanzer added: "We have sometimes discussed levels when they are borderline, say four or six.

"For me to be absolutely clear the minimum is 10. Here I am absolutely clear."

Jamaican-born Christie, 39, who retired from top competition two years ago after a glittering career has defiantly protested his innocence.

In an interview following his suspension, he said: "I'm virtually retired. For me to take drugs at the end of my career or when my career is finished is stupid and ridiculous."

Meanwhile, Ciara Sheehy is in line for a late call-up to Ireland's squad for the World Championships in Seville after setting a national 200 metres record in the European Under-23 championships in Riga.

In finishing third in the final in a time of 23.49 seconds, Sheehy was two hundredths of a second inside the existing record, set by Michelle Walsh-Carroll at Sittard in 1978. Her time is also inside the B-standard of 23.50 for Seville. The race was won by Sina Schielka of Germany in 23.08 while Emily Maher finished just outside the medals in fourth place, her time of 23.70 is also a new personal best.

Later in the day, Conor Sweeney returned career best figures of three minutes 47.48 seconds in the 1,500 metres but could still finish no higher than eighth in a high quality race with the gold medal going to Franke Haschke of Germany.

Peter Coghlan improved on his own Irish record when winning a 110 metres hurdles race at Hachtel in Belgium in 13.30 seconds. His previous best was 13.35 set two weeks ago in Crete. Nick Sweeney finished third in the discus.

Meanwhile, Mark Carroll will now run over 5,000 metres at the Weltklasse Grand Prix in Zurich on Wednesday after pulling out of the two-mile event at the British Grand Prix on Saturday. Carroll had failed to recover from his Irish record run of 7:30.36 for 3,000 metres in Monaco earlier in the week, and complaining of muscle soreness and general fatigue, decided to by-pass the London event. After consulting with his agent Ray Flynn, he travelled back to Cork to rest for Zurich which will be his final race before the World Championships.

There was a disappointing run for Susan Smith-Walsh in her last 400 metres hurdles race before Seville when she could only manage manage sixth place in London with a time of 55.73 seconds. Victory there went to Deon Hemmings of Jamaica in 54.44.