CAS ruling sees Bobby Lea in US Olympic track team after doping ban is reduced

USA Cycling has named Bobby Lea on its Olympic Long Team for the Rio Olympics after the 32-year-old successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seeing his 16-month ban reduced to six months.

Lea had been issued a 16-month suspension after testing positive for a metabolite of oxycodone at the US national track championships in August last year.

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The cyclist admitted taking prescription painkiller Percocet, but said he did not know the medication contained a banned substance and successfully appealed the length of his ban.

In January, when USA Cycling named its Long Team for this summer's Olympics, Lea was still under suspension. USA Cycling's selection criteria states that riders must be in good standing with both US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and the US Olympic Committee (USOC) when the team is selected.

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However, following Lea's appeal under section 9 of USOC's bylaws, CAS ruled that riders only need to be in good standing by the final team selection, clearing the path for Lea's selection.

Lea will now compete in the omnium at the Rio Olympics, which begins with the scratch race, individual pursuit and elimination race on August 14.