US athlete Roberts handed doping ban for second time
![American athlete Gil Roberts](https://cdn.statically.io/img/ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/2048/cpsprodpb/4f82/live/552dafa0-3002-11ef-97a3-b9fc9fdbba57.jpg)
Roberts won gold in the 4x400m relay at the Rio Olympic Games
- Published
United States athlete Gil Roberts has been handed an eight-year suspension after testing positive for banned substances for a second time.
An out-of-competition test taken by Roberts in September detected multiple banned substances including ostarine, which boosts muscle growth.
In 2022, Roberts, 35, was given a 16-month ban after testing positive for ostarine and andarine.
He avoided suspension in 2017 after he was found to have ingested probenecid - a banned diuretic and masking agent - by kissing his girlfriend, who was taking medication containing the drug for a sinus infection.
The US Anti-Doping Agency's chief executive officer Travis Tygart said it was important to "apply the full force of the rules".
"All athletes deserve a level playing field so that their hard work and talent are rewarded,” Tygart said.
Roberts was a member of the United States' gold medal-winning 4x400m relay team at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
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- Published20 June