Turnbull to race pending judgment

BELFAST athlete Gareth Turnbull has been given permission to resume racing even though there is as yet no verdict following the doping charge against him.

It is understood judgment has been reserved until September but that the ban on Turnbull has been lifted pending the eventual outcome.

The charge related to a test conducted in September 2005 and it left Turnbull facing a possible two-year ban.

Turnbull, 27, has emphatically denied any wrongdoing.

It is believed the case centred on a strong legal and scientific challenge from Turnbull’s representatives to the results of the drugs test in question.

The Irish Sports Council and Athletics Ireland had legal representation before the three-person disciplinary panel.

The Belfast runner is understood to have had several tests before and after the 30 September test which showed normal testosterone levels.

The reading concerning Turnbull in the test in question would not have been an offence two years ago.

The Irish Sports Council’s charge against Turnbull is understood to have stated that the testosterone ratio in the drugs test from last September was between 5:1 and 6:1.

However, prior to 2005, readings of 6:1 and under were permissible under then World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules.

But in 2005, a Wada rule-change reduced the highest legal testosterone ratio from 6:1 to 4:1.

Last week, UK Sport told the WADA that the testosterone threshold should return to the pre-2005 ratio of 6:1.