The Beijing 2008 S8 100 metres backstroke gold medallist, formerly one of the country's top able-bodied swimmers until she suffered a serious accident in 2004 that left her with limited use of her right arm and leg, tested positive for a raised level of salbutamol at last October’ s IPC European Short Course Championships in Reykjavik.

The 24-year-old from Wigan, who won five gold medals at the Championships in Iceland to add to the four Paralympic medals she won in Beijing, has received a six-month ban for the offence.

She must also return three medals - S8 100m freestyle gold, S9 100m backstroke bronze and SM8 200m individual medley silver.

Salbutamol is an asthma drug that at the time was on the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) list of banned substances. 

Frederiksen suffers from exercise-induced asthma.
 
Previously, therapeutic use of inhaled salbutamol is permitted subject to written notification for the treatment of asthma and other respiratory conditions.

But on the latest list of WADA banned substances salbutamol no longer requires a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE), but rather a simplified declaration of use.

The use of the substance, which remains prohibited if its concentration is found to be above 1,000 nanograms per millilitre of urine, will be permitted below this threshold without a TUE.

But  IPC claimed that Frederiksen's sample showed traces that were out of line with what was justified under a TUE.

An IPC statement said: "An adverse analytical finding of Salbutamol (Class S3) with an concentration of more than 1000 ng/mL was found in the athlete’s sample.

"A Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) granted for the use of Salbutamol did not justify this concentration.

"Consequently, under the  concentration reported, salbutamol is a substance prohibited under the 2009 WADC Prohibited List.

"Furthermore, upon request of the athlete, the B Sample was analysed on 30 November 2009.

"The results of the B Sample analysis confirmed the results of the A Sample.

"In accordance with the provisions of the 2009 WADC Prohibited List, Ms. Frederiksen underwent a pharmacokinetic study to demonstrate that the level of prohibited substance in her sample arose of a required therapeutic use."

Frederiksen had a hearing last Tuesday (May 4) which she lost but she avoided a two-year suspension, which the panel could have punished her with if they had ruled she had been cheating deliberately instead of accepting her explanation that she used the drug for legitimate medical reasons.

Frederiksen’s suspension has been backdated to October 23 2009 which means that she is already eligible to compete again.

Frederiksen could actually appear at this month’s BT Paralympic World Cup in Manchester, where she is scheduled to swim in the 50m freestyle and 100m backstroke, in which she is the world record holder.

Unlike the British Olympic Association (BOA), ParalympicsGB do not have regulations in place which prevent those who have failed doping tests from competing at the Paralympic Games and therefore Frederiksen is still eligible for selection for London 2012.

A statement from the British Paralympic Association (BPA) said: "The British Paralympic Association can confirm that it does not have a bye law in relation to anti-doping that prevents athletes with a doping violation competing at future Paralympic Games.

"Therefore any athlete that has served their period of suspension would be eligible for selection at a Paralympic Games."

David Sparkes, the chief executive of British Swimming, promised that Frederiksen would not face any further punishment.

He said: "This was a case where the panel exercised its discretion to impose a far lower period of suspension than the normal length of two years due to the circumstances involved.

"During the hearing, the athlete produced corroborating evidence, to the comfortable satisfaction of the panel, that she did not intend to enhance performance and the judgement reflects this fact.
 
“British Swimming will continue to support Heather with her training and return to competition.”

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