Al Jazeera English - Sport - Guttormson Suspended

UPDATED ON:
FRIDAY, AUGUST 10, 2007
13:23 MECCA TIME, 10:23 GMT

NEWS SPORT







Guttormson suspended

Ricky Guttormson: Desire for more hair gets him into trouble [GALLO/GETTY]

American Rick Guttormson has become the first player ever to fail a doping test in Japanese basebal.

The commissioner of Japan professional baseball announced that the Softbank Hawks pitcher in Japan's Pacific League tested positive for a banned substance and has subsequently been suspended for 20 days.

It was confirmed that a post-game doping test on July 13 revealed Finasteride in Guttormson's system.

The pitcher claimed that Finasteride is found in a hair-growing agent he had been taking for two years.

It is not performance-enhancing but is banned because it can be used as a masking agent.

Guttormson is 5-6 this season with a 3.37 ERA for the Hawks.

He was the winning pitcher in Thursday night's 5-1 win over the Seibu Lions.

The Californian, who has no major league experience, is in his third season in Japan, with the highlight being a no-hitter in 2006 when he played for the Yakult Swallows of the Central League.

This isn't the first time an athlete has run into trouble using hair-growth substances.

In 2006, NHL goalie Jose Theodore failed a drug test prior to the Olympic Games.

It was later revealed to be caused by hair-growth supplements which Theodore had been taking legally for 8 years.

While in Australia, Perth Glory midfielder Stan Lazaridis is also facing an indefinite ban while authorities attempt to rule on his failed drug test which he claimed was for hair growth treatment.

Source: Agencies

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