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Australian water polo star Stanton to miss 2012 Olympics for doping

2011-06-23 14:13 Xinhuanet

CANBERRA, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Australian water polo player James Stanton, who played in the last two Olympic Games, announced on Wednesday that he will miss a third in the London Olympics due to a two-year doping ban.

Stanton, Australia's goalkeeper at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, tested positive for the anabolic agent clenbuterol in an out-of-competition test in Perth of Australia on September 15 last year.

The backdated suspension imposed by the Australian Water Polo (AWPI) means Stanton, a veteran of 159 water polo internationals, cannot compete until October 23 next year, ruling him out of next month's world championships and the 2012 London Olympics.

The 27-year-old denied knowingly taking the substance. Stanton referred the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but has since withdrawn the appeal. [ "On the advice of my legal team and with great disappointment, I announce that I have accepted a sanction after a routine out-of-competition drug test conducted by ASADA in September last year resulted in a positive finding for the substance clenbuterol," Stanton said in a statement released on Wednesday.

But he vowed to continue training despite the ban.

"I plan to keep training on my own during the extent of the ban so as to demonstrate to the coaches and supporters that I am serious about returning and that this will not be the end of my career," he said.

Stanton has been a mainstay of the national water polo team, the Sharks, and was considered a strong chance to join an elite group of Australian players to have competed at three or more Olympics.

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