Ina slapped 4-year ban

Agence France-Presse, Spokane, Washington

U.S. pairs figure skater Kyoko Ina has been banned for four years for refusing an out of competition test after the American Arbitration Association (AAA)/Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)turned down her appeal, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) said Friday.

A refusal to provide a sample for a drug test is a violation of the anti-doping rules of the International Skating Union (ISU), the sport's international federation.

USADA enforces the rules of an athlete's international federation and in this case sought the minimum sanction under the ISU rules -- a four-year suspension.

"On July 18, 2002, while still an Olympic-eligible member of the U.S. Figure Skating Association, Ina made no attempt to provide a sample," the arbitration panel's ruling said. "Instead, she refused to provide a urine sample for testing as required by the Protocol, and constituting a violation under section 5.2. (b) of the International Skating Union Anti-Doping Code."

Ina could have been banned for life. She had argued that she had wanted only to postpone the test because of the late hour, 10:30 p.m., and was unable to get adequate information on what risk she would take by signing the refusal form.

The CAS panel noted that Ina had in fact informed the USDA that she could be found at home around 10:30 p.m.