Merritt sorry for 'foolish mistakes'

World and Olympic 400 metres champion LaShawn Merritt faces an uncertain future after admitting he made a “foolish, immature and egotistical mistake” in taking banned substances which led to three positive drugs tests.

Merritt last night accepted a provisional suspension after admitting he had used an over-the-counter male enhancement product containing DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) and pregnenolone.

The 23-year-old, who won Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008 and the world title in Berlin 12 months later, tested positive on three successive occasions in October and December of last year and January 2010, and could now face a two-year ban.

In a statement issued on the athlete’s behalf by his lawyer Howard Jacobs, Merritt’s use of the product was described as “completely unrelated to athletics and occurred at a time that he was neither seriously training nor competing”.

The statement read: “As an athlete and strong advocate of fair competition, I have worked very hard to push myself to the outer limits of my physical abilities without any performance enhancement drugs.

“I’ve always prided myself on doing what’s right and will continue to do so.“