Olympics: Israeli Olympian Zemiro fails drug test
06/05/2012 03:49
35-year-old, who became the first Israeli athlete to book his place in the 2012 Games tested positive for Terbutaline.
ZOHAR ZEMIRO Photo: IAAF website
Zohar Zemiro’s dream of representing Israel in the marathon at the London
Olympics could end in heartbreaking fashion after it was revealed on Monday that
he had failed a drugs test.
The 35-year-old, who became the first Israeli
athlete to book his place in the 2012 Games when he ran the Amsterdam Marathon
in 2:14.28 hours in April of last year, tested positive for Terbutaline, an
illegal substance found in asthma inhalers.
The Anti-Doping Committee of
Israel will receive the result of his B sample in the coming days and should it
be found to be positive like his A sample, Zemiro is set to miss out on the
Olympics.
Zemiro, who was tested around one month ago, explained that he
has suffered from asthma symptoms for some years and a small amount of
Terbutaline must have entered his body without his knowledge following his use
of an inhaler.
“I have always believed in fair and clean competition and
I’m certain that the circumstances that have resulted in this result will not
prevent me from representing Israel at the Olympics,” Zemiro said.
Dr.
Jacques Asharov, head of the Anti-Doping Committee of Israel, called for
caution.
“This is still only a suspicion,” he said. “We are still to
receive the result of the B sample. If that will be negative, than the entire
test will be declared as negative.”