French marathon runner Frere suspended for two years

French marathon runner Mehdi Frere, selected for the Paris Olympics, has been banned for two years for breaching anti-doping rules, his lawyer told AFP on Tuesday.

"He was suspended for a period of two years by the disciplinary tribunal of World Athletics," lawyer Laurent Fellous said.

Fellous said he was attempting to appeal the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and believes a decision before the Olympics is possible.

"We'll be able to refer the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport as part of an accelerated procedure, with the aim of obtaining an arbitration award by July 26, the opening day of the Olympics," said his lawyer.

"I think it's do-able," he added.

Frere, 27, is accused of missing three anti-doping tests in the space of a year, a so-called "whereabouts" offence.

He was suspended for the Olympics "subject to conditions" and had to sit out the European Championships in June while his whereabouts case was being considered.

Frere recorded a personal best of 2hr 05min 43sec in 2023 and finished 20th in the World Cross-Country Championships this year.