Bobsleigh-Britain's Gulliver provisionally suspended after positive doping test

(Reuters) - Britain's bobsledder Arran Gulliver has been provisionally suspended following a doping test failure, the International Testing Agency said on Monday.

Gulliver, a twice World Championship medallist in the four-man bobsleigh team fancied to medal at the 2026 Milan Olympics, faces a ban of up to four years after testing positive for the banned substance ostarine in a March 2 out-of-competition test.

"Enobosarm (ostarine), a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM), may enhance performance by promoting lean muscle growth and improving strength," the ITA said in a statement.

"If the B-sample analysis is requested and confirms the result of the A-sample, the case will be considered as a confirmed anti-doping rule violation.

"If the B-sample analysis is not requested, the case will also go ahead as a confirmed anti-doping rule violation.

"The athlete will have the opportunity to present his explanations for the result."

The 27-year-old Gulliver won gold at the 2023 European Championships with the British four-man team and bronze at the World Championships earlier this month.

He has also won 12 World Cup medals in the British sled.

The BBC quoted a statement from the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association (BBSA) confirming the suspension and reiterating its backing for anti-doping measures.

"As this case is currently ongoing, the BBSA will not be making any further comment at this stage," it said. .

(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Ediing by Ken Ferris)