Top slider Lund banned from Games

Lund was a favourite to take gold in Turin

Skeleton gold medal favourite Zach Lund will miss the Winter Olympics after receiving a one-year ban for doping.

Lund tested positive for finasteride - a banned substance often used as a steroid-masking agent - at a World Cup race in November.

The US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) opted against a ban and instead warned Lund, meaning he could still go to the Games.

But the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) lodged an appeal which the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld.

To be called a cheater kills me Zach Lund

Lund had argued the positive test had been caused by hair growth treatment.

An emotional Lund said: "It's devastating to know I was following the rules and the rules let me down. I don't think what happened to me is fair and I want everybody to realize that.

"To be called a cheater kills me. That honestly hurts me more than missing my chance to be in the Olympics.

"If you ask any champion, the road to the top is never easy. This is just another bump in the road.

"It's not going to keep me from my athletic goals and my life goals. One of them is being an Olympian. So I'll definitely be back."

Wada had asked that he be banned for two years but the CAS chose to give him a one-year suspension - the minimum for drugs offences.

"The panel has declared that it was entirely satisfied that Mr Lund was not a cheat," CAS said in a statement.

"He regularly checked the prohibited list in the past years but, unfortunately, in 2005, he made a mistake and failed to do so."

Lund's absence from the Games could boost Briton Kristan Bromley's chance of a medal in event in the mountain resort of Cesana Pariol on 17 February.

The American had finished in the top three in three World Cup events this season.

The 27-year-old had already forfeited points from his second place finish in the season's opening World Cup race in Calgary after the results of his drugs test became known.

Lund's ban will now end on 9 November 2006.