Hunter-Galvin hit with two-year ban

Published on Friday 28 August 2009 23:44

ATHLETICS: US-based New Zealand Olympic marathoner Liza Hunter-Galvin was banned from competition for two years yesterday after admitting using the banned performance-enhancing substance EPO.

Hunter-Galvin, 40, a mother of four, admitted using EPO three times – in February, March and in May, only three days before she returned a positive doping test.

Hunter-Galvin, a teacher who lives in Texas, represented New Zealand at the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics. On both occasions she had been rejected for selection, but appealed on the basis of her personal best marathon time of 2 hours, 30 minutes, 39 seconds. She finished 51st in the Athens marathon and 35th in Beijing.

"Everybody is incredibly annoyed," Athletics New Zealand chief executive Scott Newman said.