CAS increases cyclist's suspension

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has increased cyclist Nathan O'Neill's doping suspension from 15 months to the maximum of two years, the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority said Wednesday.

O'Neill, a Commonwealth Games gold and bronze medalist and eight-time Australian time trial champion, tested positive to the prohibited stimulant Phentermine in an in-competition sample collected Aug. 12, 2007, following the Tour of Elk Grove, Illinois.

The extension of the ban means that O'Neill, 34, is not eligible to compete until June 2010.

In its original decision last June, the Geneva-based CAS tribunal determined that while O'Neill had committed an anti-doping rule violation, he had established no significant fault or negligence in taking the substance before competition, resulting in the 15-month ban.

ASADA, the World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Cycling Union (UCI) appealed the decision. The CAS appeals panel subsequently ruled there had been significant fault and negligence by O'Neill in ingesting Phentermine before competition.

"Also of importance is the evidence from Mr. O'Neill that he took the risk because he was of the view that without Phentermine he was not going to be competitive," the CAS said. "Mr. O'Neill, therefore, self-medicated with a view of gaining a competitive advantage."

CANBERRA, Australia, AP