Doehring Suspended for Failing Drug Test

Jim Doehring, the world’s third-ranked shotputter in 1990, was informed earlier this month by The Athletics Congress that he has been suspended for two years after failing a drug test.

According to sources, Doehring, 29, was discovered to have a higher ratio of the male hormone testosterone to epitestosterone than allowed by track and field rules in a random, out-of-competition test taken in his home last December in Fallbrook.

The sources said TAC, which governs the sport in the United States, took action against Doehring after the second half of the sample also was analyzed as a positive during testing in January at an Indianapolis laboratory.

Doehring, one of the sources said, will appeal because the seal on the bottle containing the second half of the sample was broken before it was tested, a violation of TAC protocol.

“That hasn’t been explained,” the source said.

Neither Doehring nor TAC officials were available Tuesday night for comment.

Doehring, a 1988 Olympian who attended San Clemente High School and San Jose State, won the outdoor national championship in 1990 with a season’s best throw of 69 feet 6 3/4 inches. He upset the world record-holder, Randy Barnes.

Barnes, 24, since has been suspended for two years after testing positive for an anabolic steroid in a meet last August at Malmo, Sweden. He also has appealed.

If their suspensions are not overturned, Barnes and Doehring will be ineligible for the World Championships in August at Tokyo and the 1992 Summer Olympics at Barcelona, Spain.