In absolutely huge news for the sport of boxing, world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has been charged with doping by UK Anti-Doping.
UKAD were responding to statements from Fury's lawyers that addressed allegations, reported in 'The Sunday Mirror' on 26th June, that Fury had taken PEDs and complained that "leaks about these charges have appeared in the press and both boxers have been the targets of continual abusive language on Twitter" while confirming that Fury was planning to sue UKAD over the allegations.
In their statement on their website, UKAD said the following:
In response to public comments made by Tyson and Hughie Furys' representatives, UK Anti-Doping can confirm that both boxers were charged on 24 June 2016 with presence of a Prohibited Substance. Mandatory Provisional Suspensions were imposed pursuant to Article 7.9.1 of the UK Anti-Doping Rules.
The UK Anti-Doping Rules allow athletes to challenge the imposition of a Provisional Suspension and the independent National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) today lifted the athletes’ suspensions, pending full determination of the charges. These charges will be heard at a hearing before the NADP in due course.
UK Anti-Doping will not comment further on the case until due legal process has been completed.
Fury is due to defend his world title against in October this year against Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko, after pulling out of their planned July 9th bout around the same time as the Sunday Mirror report surfaced, citing a foot injury.
But in the battle for credibility that sport increasingly faces, this is a huge blow for those fans of the controversial Fury, who had hoped that his incredible victory over Klitschko in November of last year wasn't too good to be true.
