Athletics: Olympic medallist suspended

Olympic and world champion sprinter LaShawn Merritt accepted a provisional suspension after testing positive for a banned drug.

Merritt used an over-the-counter male enhancement product that contained substances that caused him to fail three successive tests from October to January, according to a release from lawyer Howard Jacobs yesterday.

Merritt, who won Olympic gold medals in the 400 and as a member of the 4x400 relay in Beijing, said he hopes his family, friends and sponsors will forgive him for making "a foolish, immature and egotistical mistake."