British masters thrower, David Burrell, has been given a four year suspension from UK Athletics. He refused to take a surprise-visit urine test at his home.
Burrell was at the time coach for British javelin throw Joanna Blair, who won the gold medal at 2016 British Athletics Championships. Blair had failed in a doping test, and was suspended by UK Anti-Doping on October the 18th 2017.
UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) visited Burrells home address on the morning of 23 August. According to the BBC, Burrell had “refused, without compelling justification, to submit to sample collection after notification of testing”.
Burrell’s suspension will run from the date of the provisional suspension (18 October 2017) until midnight on 17 October 2021.
“Any athlete or coach involved in [World Anti-Doping Agency] compliant sports must adhere to their responsibilities which are clearly set out in the anti-doping rules,” said Ukad chief executive Nicole Sapstead in a statement on 1. of March 2018.
‘A failure to comply with sample collection procedures is a serious breach of the anti-doping rules and of athlete/coach responsibilities”, ends Sapstead.