Report: IAAF clears Turkish 1,500 champ

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- European 1,500-meter champion Sureyya Ayhan was cleared of doping allegations by the IAAF but the athlete violated rules while taking her test, Turkish news reports said on Saturday.

Allegations that Ayhan may have attempted to cheat on a pre-Olympic doping test surfaced in August after testers reportedly complained of being obstructed from carrying out their work, Turkish officials and news reports said.

The athlete had announced earlier that she would not compete at the Athens Olympics due to a leg injury, fueling speculation.

Private NTV television and others said on Saturday the IAAF ruled that Ayhan had not taken performance-enhancing drugs, but said the athlete had broken testing rules. The IAAF said the Turkish Athletics Federation would decide what measures to take, the Anatolia news agency reported.

TAF secretary general Isik Bayraktar refused comment on Saturday.

Ayhan's trainer, Yucel Kop, who was also her husband, has long rejected cheating allegations, but acknowledged obstructing a male tester from entering a room during a urine test.

Ayhan and Kop expressed satisfaction at a press conference at being cleared of the doping allegations.

"It doesn't mean that we won't be punished," Kop said. "(But) there was no doping, no switching of samples, (just) violation of rules," he said.

Ayhan said she was "a little hurt" by the allegations but was ready to put the incident behind her.

"I will not give up (running) until I have experienced an Olympic championship," she said.

Ayhan won the European title in 2002 and finished second at last year's world championships.