Olympian Serge Despres will be back in August 2009 after the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport imposed a 20-month suspension last February 2008. He was tested positive for steroids during an out of competition doping test in August 2007. Serge Despres is a bobsleigh pilot and competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. He is also part of the team in the Canadian two-man and four-man championships in 2007.

The suspension is a little bit tough and frustrating according to Despres since the result of the test is actually a very little amount that exceeded the limit for a banned substance. He was tested positive for nandrolone which is prohibited by the World Anti Doping Agency. The amount of nandrolone found on his system is 0.9 nanogram over the allowed limit for that substance. Based on some experts his positive result may be due to a tainted supplement which contains nandrolone. Despres case may be due to accidental doping.

Despres is qouted saying that he is not a cheater.”I have never knowingly taken performance enhancing drugs or banned substances. I am not a cheater.” “My case is possibly the lowest recorded positive test in the history of sports drug testing,” he added.

To prove his innocence, Despres even subjected himself to a lie detector test to prove that he is not a steroid user. Even if he passed the lie detector test, the sports organization did not change its decision. The Court of Arbitration for Sport even extended the sanction up to two years last November because of his failure to show “no significant fault.”

Part of the sanction is the ban on training with his teammates. He was also prohibited to use the bobsleigh tracks in Calgary and Whistler, B.C. The financial aid was also stopped.

Serge Despres is again willing to comeback in this sport. Although he said that his name was already tainted due to the suspension. The good news is Bobsleigh Canada is still interested to get him back as part of the national team. On the other hand, his chance to compete in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver is very nil. In an interview by Sean Hatchard of Times and Transcript Canada, Despress said, “I have to accept that there’s a good chance I won’t be at the Olympics, but I’m not giving up. I still have a slim chance. “That’s where I’ve always wanted to be and I’m going to give it my best to be there,” he added.

To be a part of the Canada’s Olympic team, Despres said the he have to race in 5 America or Europe Cup events. Added to that is his required participation in two World Cup Events which he should get impressive performance and probably the championship titles.

At this point, his goal may be very difficult to attain but he is determined to be back in a sled. “I told myself I would be out here until I was done with the sport. I miss home, the people, the ocean,” said Despres. He will not stop even if he has to wait for another four years for the 2014 Olympics in Russia. “The people that know me and know what I’m all about, nothing has changed with them. Some people who don’t know you are going to label you. They’re going to say you’re just another dopehead, but I don’t need to talk to those people anyway,” Despres added.

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