ATHLETICS: Lifeline for Hendricken
The Irish athlete sent the laboratory two samples of the dietary supplement she had been taking prior to her out of competition positive dope test on February 10 and it seems one of them contained enough anabolic agents to provide a positive test.
Traces were found of metabolites similar to 19-Norandrosterone, a precursor to the anabolic steroid Nandrolone which produced Hendricken's positive test.
The supplement is known to be plant based and is used for its weight loss properties.
Hendricken is still waiting on the Athletics Association of Ireland to finalise their arbitration panel to look into her case, but it now looks likely that she will learn her fate before the end of the month.
The international athletics body, the IAAF, has a strict liability rule with regard to positive nandrolone tests which states that the athlete is responsible for any illegal substance found in their system, so it is unlikely she will get off scot free.
However, this latest evidence, which suggests that she inadvertently took the banned substance, could work in her favour and the normal sentence of two years could well be reduced.
