Wallabies winger Wendell Sailor on Monday requested that the ”B” sample of his drug test be analysed by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority in the hope the findings will clear his name.
The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) said the controversial NSW Waratahs winger had informed them of his decision, which had a deadline of late on Monday.
”Wendell Sailor has informed the ARU that he has formally requested the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (Asada) to test his B sample,” the ARU said in a statement.
”Asada has informed the ARU that the testing procedure will take place as soon as possible and that the test results are likely to be available next week,” it said.
Sailor’s management made no comment.
The high-profile Wallaby winger faces a two-year ban if the B sample returns the same result as the A sample, which tested positive for a recreational drug — widely said to be cocaine.
Should the initial analysis be confirmed, Sailor’s playing career would be over.
Sailor (31) tested positive to the banned substance on April 16 and was stood down by the Waratahs on May 12, missing two vital Super 14 matches against the Wellington Hurricanes on May 13 and last Friday, when his team lost their semifinal.
Drug testers take two samples simultaneously from players, testing the A portion and storing the B sample.
”If he [Sailor] was wanting to have the B sample tested he could nominate either himself or a representative to be present when the bottle’s opened and then it’s tested by the lab,” Asada spokesperson Simon Tidy said.
”If it comes back a positive confirmed case, then they’ve [players] got a period of time [seven days] to make a submission to us to say, look, I’m not happy with this, I’m not happy with that.
”At the end of that time if everything’s all exhausted we then officially notify the sport and the athlete of an anti-doping rule violation,” he said. — AFP
