THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
OBERHOFEN, Switzerland — Lebanese ski racer Georges Salameh is facing a ban from the sport after testing positive for cocaine at the world championships last month.
The International Ski Federation (FIS) confirmed Thursday that the 33-year-old Salameh failed a doping test during the two-week event at Val d’Isere, France.
"The ‘B’ Sample confirmed the results of the ‘A’ sample containing the prohibited substance benzoylecgonine — a metabolite of cocaine — from the test in Val d’Isere," FIS secretary-general Sarah Lewis said in an e-mail message.
A FIS doping panel will now consider the case. The maximum penalty would be a two-year ban.
Salameh, the national champion of Lebanon in slalom and giant slalom, competed in the qualification races in both disciplines at Val d’Isere but did not reach the main events to line up against the elite racers.
He finished well down the field in the first leg of the GS and did not start the second run. He did not finish the first leg of the slalom qualifier.
Salameh competed at the Turin Winter Olympics in 2006, finishing 43rd in slalom.