Olympics: Israeli Olympian Zemiro fails drug test

35-year-old, who became the first Israeli athlete to book his place in the 2012 Games tested positive for Terbutaline.

By ALLON SINAI
ZOHAR ZEMIRO (photo credit: IAAF website)
ZOHAR ZEMIRO
(photo credit: 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.”