Skiing: Drugs shock for Olympic medalist

Alain Baxter, the first Briton ever to win an Olympic skiing medal, failed a drug test at the Salt Lake City games and risks being stripped of his bronze medal in the slalom.

The British Olympic Association announced today that Baxter tested positive for the banned stimulant methamphetamine after his surprise third-place finish in the slalom on 23 February.

The International Olympic Committee said last Friday that they were investigating two more positive tests from the final weekend of the games, one for methamphetamine and one for the steroid nandrolone. It declined to name the athletes or sports involved pending a hearing.

The BOA said they were notified by the IOC on Friday afternoon that one of its athletes had produced a positive sample for the stimulant, which is commonly known as "speed."

In a statement released on his behalf by the BOA, Baxter said he was "devastated" by the news and would fight to clear his name.

"I have never knowingly taken any medicine or substance to improve my performance and as such believe that I am entirely innocent," said the 28-year-old Scottish skier said.

"I am now working with lawyers and medical experts to present my case to the IOC's Inquiry Commission (and the IOC's Disciplinary Commission), which I am advised is unlikely to convene until next week, with a view to defending myself successfully against the charges of doping."