British 800m hopeful Oliver Dustin has told British fans “See you in Tokyo,” after strongly denying allegations that traces of cocaine were found in a drug test sample. Reports from The Times and The Sun on Wednesday claimed he had tested positive for cocaine. The 20-year-old’s place in the GB squad looked to be under threat following the developments but now Dustin has been cleared to compete at the Olympics and the youngster is also determined to clear his name.
The Workington-born star showcased his potential when breaking Sebastian Coe’s British Under-23 record with a time of 1.43.82.
Dustin then secured his place at the Games two weeks later when he finished second at the Team GB trials in Manchester.
Yet according to reports, a metabolite of cocaine was allegedly found in one of Dustin’s drug samples following recent in-competition testing in France.
The Times, who have now been threatened with legal action by Dustin’s team, are now reporting that the middle-distance runner has already been cleared to participate in the Olympics.
Mr Dustin has now broken his silence on the ordeal and strongly denies the allegations in a statement published on social media
“I have never taken cocaine, I have not broken any rules, I am not under investigation, and I am not facing any ban,” he said.
“I will be flying to Tokyo this week as planned and will be competing at the Olympic Games as also planned.
“It is regrettable that the Times considered it acceptable to publish such a damaging article on the basis of unnamed ‘sources’ and without considering the potential impact on me, my reputation or my preparations for the Olympic Games.
“I will be asking lawyers to contact The Times about its article. For now, my focus is on the Olympic Games.”
The case has been handled by the French anti-doping authorities and they have already reportedly dropped their investigation.
It’s understood that Dustin has been cleared on the grounds of cross-contamination with another sample.
Dustin’s agent, Stephen Haas, stated that it was ‘not factual at this point’ to label the adverse finding as a positive test.
Haas refused to comment further on the incident.
It’s not the first time a drug test has dominated the headlines when the Olympics are concerned in recent weeks.
At the start of the month, America’s Sha’Carri Richardson was hit with a 30-day ban after testing positive for marijuana after the Olympic trials.
The 21-year-old 100m sprinter was on course to lead the United States in Tokyo but will now miss the Games, which get underway on July 23.