Lund Being Allowed to Compete in Torino Games

By | Posted - Jan. 23, 2006 at 12:03 p.m.

Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes

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Shelley Osterloh ReportingGreat news for the Utah skeleton slider, Zach Lund, he will be allowed to compete in Torino, even after a failed drug test.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency today issued Zach Lund only a public warning following that failed drug test. Because he wasn't suspended, the U.S. Olympic Committee has approved his credential for the games.

Zach Lund, of the United States, smiles after placing second at the men's World Cup skeleton in Calgary in this Nov. 10, 2005 file photo. Lund will apparently compete in next month's Turin Olympics after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency chose Monday, Jan. 23, 2006, to only issue him a public warning following a failed drug test. Lund tested positive for Finasteride, a banned substance often used as a steroid-masking agent, at the World Cup in Calgary and was barred from the past two World Cup races. (AP Photo/Jeff McIntosh, CP)

Lund tested positive for Finasteride, a banned substance sometimes used as a steroid-masking agent, at a competition in November. He was barred from the past two World Cup races. Lund has said the positive result stemmed from his use of a hair-restoration product that he has taken openly since 1999. Lund was able to prove that it was harmless mistake and that he has never taken any performance enhancing drug.

KSL spoke with him just before he boarded a plane for Europe to join the rest of the team.

Zach Lund, US Skeleton: "I've had a lot of stuff happen to me, in my life -- losing my mom, being divorced, and then almost having my life dream taken away from me. And from everything I've had bad happen to me, I've been able to turn it into good. And I think from this, I've realized that I'm lucky, blessed to have so many, I never realized how many people I have behind me."

The other Utah skeleton slider, Noelle Pikus Pace, has been cleared medically to slide after recovering from a broken leg, but she lost her Olympic spot while in rehab. At this point she will be at the games, but only as an alternate if the number one US slider cannot compete.