PARIS, July 20: Nour-Eddine Gezzar, who came fourth in the 3,000 metres steeplechase at the European championships, has been provisionally suspended and will miss the London Olympics after failing a dope test for erythropoietin (EPO).

“Noour-Eddine Gezzar tested positive for EPO on June 17 at the French championships. Pending the analysis of the ‘B’ sample, the French athletics federation decided to provisionally suspend Gezzar,” the federation said on Friday. He had already been suspended for two years in 2006 for testing positive for nandrolone and finasteride.

Gezzar had been selected to represent France at the London Olympic Games starting next week.—Reuters