Skier Alain Baxter has lost his appeal against a positive dope test which resulted in him being stripped of Britain's first ever Olympic medal in the sport.
He was informed of the decision by the Lausanne-based Court of Arbritation for Sport (CAS) an independent body which examines such decisions taken by the International Olympic Committee.
Affectionately known as "The Highlander", Baxter became an instant national hero in February when he unexpectedly won the bronze medal in the slalom event at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.
It was the first time that any British skier had stood on an Olympic podium in a sport dominated by Alpine, Scandinavian and North American athletes.
He was given a welcome home to his native Scotland worthy of a world champion complete with bagpipes, fireworks and big crowds.
But shortly after that his world collapsed when the IOC announced that he had failed a dope test for the banned substance methamphetamine which would result in him being stripped of the medal.
Baxter said in his defence that he had a long history of taking nasal sprays in Britain without testing positive.
But while in Salt Lake City he used the US version of the product which looked the same but which unknown to him contained the banned substance.
He presented his case before a two-day hearing of a three-member CAS panel in London in September and it was their decision which was announced Wednesday.