Police drop investigation over discovered syringe

Australian police have said they will not continue their investigation into the discovery of a syringe and plastic vials found at a hotel used by some competitors at the world swimming championships.

A syringe and several vials were discovered at the Parkview Hotel in Melbourne. Traces of cocaine were found but no illicit drugs in the vials of liquid.

Police notified swimming's world governing body FINA but said they had closed the investigation because the syringe and vials were found in a common area of the hotel used by other guests not involved in the championships.

A Victoria state police spokes-person said the investigation has been closed and no one had been charged with any offence.

The last World Championships held in Australia, in 1998, were overshadowed by a doping scandal when a Chinese competitor was caught smuggling human growth hormone into the country and four of her team-mates tested positive for steroids.

British swimmers have been given the added incentive of an automatic place in next year's Olympic team if they perform well at the World Championships. Britain's performance director Bill Sweetenham said any British swimmer who finishes in the top-four in their event at Melbourne will be pre-selected for Beijing. Sweetenham's plan still has to be approved by the British Olympic Association but the Australian said he was hopeful it would be rubber-stamped.