She got the ban overturned in time to run in Sydney, where she reached the final of the women's 100 meters. Ljungqvist said that despite his strong objection to Ottey's reinstatement, the case had positive results because a legal loophole had been closed. Ottey was banned by the IAAF after the positive drug test, but she was cleared by her national federation. The case went to the IAAF arbitration panel, which lifted the ban on July 3 on grounds that her urine sample was improperly tested. Ljungqvist said scientists at the testing laboratory erroneously measured Ottey's urine sample using a male threshold.
Men have a higher naturally occurring level of nandrolone.
Ljungqvist said he'd detailed the miscalculation to arbiters but was told that, on strict legal grounds, the suspension had to be overturned. Nandrolone is at the heart of the case of C.J. Hunter, the U.S. shot-put world champion and husband of triple gold medalist Marion Jones. Hunter, like Ottey and the bulk of others who tested positive for nandrolone, said the substance was contained in a dietary substance. He did not compete in Sydney. A host of other athletes have tested positive for nandrolone in the last two years.