Olympics:The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has cleared the way for several dozen former doping offenders to compete at next year's London Olympics after dismissing the validity of an International Olympic Committee (IOC) eligibility rule.
The controversial Rule 45, introduced in 2008, banned athletes, including Olympic 400 metres champion LaShawn Merritt, from participating at the next Olympic Games - summer or winter - if they have been suspended for six months or longer, but the regulation was rejected as invalid and unenforceable by CAS.
The Court's ruling means that Merritt, the highest profile name affected by the decision, can now defend his title in London. The American received a 21-month suspension after testing positive in 2009 and 2010 for a banned substance he said was found in an over-the-counter male enhancement product.
His ban ended in July and he competed at the world athletics championships in South Korea in August, winning the silver medal behind Grenada's Kirani James and gold in the 4x400m relay.
The verdict also allows numerous athletes banned from winter Games under the same rule to make a return at the Sochi 2014 winter Olympics. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) estimated some 50 track and field athletes could be affected by the verdict.
"This is difficult to answer precisely because it requires a judgment to be made about who is likely to qualify for London on return from a doping ban. A reasonable estimate at this point would put the number at around 50," IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said.
Germany's most decorated winter Olympian, speedskater Claudia Pechstein, who was banned for two years in 2009 and wants to compete in next year's London Games in cycling and to race in the 2014 Games, said she was pleased by the decision.
"I am totally happy. There could not have been a different verdict. Justice has prevailed and now the path is clear for my tenth Olympic medal," she said.
The IOC, which had put the rule into place to act as a further deterrent for potential doping offenders, said it was disappointed and would seek tougher sentences in the future through the new WADA code.
"The IOC fully respects the Court of Arbitration for Sport and will of course abide by its judgement. The IOC has a zero tolerance against doping and has shown and continues to show its determination to catch cheats," the IOC said in a statement.
"We are therefore naturally disappointed since the measure was originally adopted to support the values that underpin the Olympic Movement and to protect the huge majority of athletes who compete fairly.
"When the moment comes for the revision of the World Anti-Doping Code we will ensure that tougher sanctions, including such a rule, will be seriously considered."