When his agent called Thursday morning, he expected the worst.
But the Court of Arbitration for Sport threw out the IOC rule that bars any athlete who has received a doping suspension of more than six months from competing in the next summer or winter games. The court said the rule is “invalid and unenforceable” because it amounts to a second penalty, clearing the way for Merritt and dozens of other athletes around the world — as many as 50 in track and field — to compete in London.
Merritt completed his 21-month suspension in July after testing positive for a banned substance found in a male-enhancement product. In August, he finished second at the world championships in South Korea, but the IOC rule would have prevented him from running in theLondon Olympics.
Declaring “this is not the end of the story,” the IOC said it will fight to restore its Olympic doping rule for future games
