Kevin Moore has been slapped with a four-year ban by the National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO) following a ruling by the body’s Appeals Panel.
The 26-year-old had tested positive during the European Championships of the Small States held in June last year at the Matthew Micallef St John Stadium in Marsa.
The Australia-based sprinter was immediately provisionally suspended by the Malta Amateur Athletics Association (MAAA) and was subsequently ruled out from representing the country at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Moore consistently claimed his innocence and was initially acquitted from any wrongdoing by the NADO Disciplinary Commission who argued that the procedure used in the collection of the urine sample was irregular.
However, the Anti-Doping Commission contested the decision and took the case in front of the NADO Appeals Panel who re-examined the case.
In its ruling, the Appeals Panel revoked the decision to acquit Moore from any wrongdoing and condemned the sprinter to a four-year ban as stated by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) regulations.
The ban started on June 12, 2017 but the period Moore spent provisionally suspended will be deducted from the penalty .