The International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) yesterday dismissed the decision by UK Athletics to clear Scottish sprinter Doug Walker of doping charges.
The sport's ruling body has ordered the case against the European 200 metre champion to be looked at by an arbitration commission.
"The IAAF rules are plain, when banned substances are found in an athletes urine, it's a case of doping," explained IAAF secretary general Istvan Gyulai.
Walker (26), was suspended in March after traces of the banned substance nandrolone were found in an out-of-competition test last December.
But in a dramatic conclusion to an episode which had dragged on for seven months, UK Athletics dropped all charges against him.
A three-man disciplinary committee concluded that the ingestion of the substance was of a wholly innocent and accidental nature.
Reacting to yesterday's ruling UK Athletics spokeswoman Jayne
Pearce said: "We are disappointed. However, we stand behind the decision of the disciplinary committee to clear Doug Walker."
Walker will be allowed to compete pending the decision but if the commission finds him guilty all results will be automatically scrapped.
However, after being cleared by UK Athletics, Walker said he would not be making a comeback to the track until next season, ruling out trying to compete in the world championships in Seville, Spain. "It's been a long struggle and I'm just relieved it's all over," said Walker at the time.
The IAAF also rejected yesterday a petition to allow Ben Johnson to return to competition.
The Canadian sprinter (37), was banned for life six years ago after a second positive drug test.
The IAAF's decision-making council issued their ruling after receiving a 19-page report from a special three-man panel which studied Johnson's case. The ruling is final, with no possibility of an appeal.
Johnson was stripped of his Olympic gold medal and 100metre world record after testing positive for steroids at the 1988 Seoul Games. After serving a twoyear suspension, he received a life ban after testing positive for a high testosterone level in 1993.
The Romanian Athletics Federation (FRA) have banned long distance runner Cristina Costea for life after she tested positive for methanolone, a federation official said yesterday.
"FRA agreed on a maximum ban for Costea after her second drug offence," FRA general secretary Nicolae Marasescu said.
Costea, who won a marathon in Paris earlier this year, tested positive after running a 25-kilometre course in Berlin last May. More than 15 Romanian long distance runners have been banned for two years or more for doping offences over the last 10 years.
