Leading British 400-metres runner Mark Richardson - a 1996 4x400m relay Olympic silver medallist - has had his suspension for a doping offence lifted by UK Athletics after a unanimous decision by an independent disciplinary committee in London yesterday.

However, that may not be enough to ensure the one-lap specialist competes at the Sydney Olympics if, as seems likely, the sport's ruling body the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) refers the case to their own arbitration panel.

After an out-of-competition test on October 27th last year, Richardson's urine samples were found to contain excessive amounts of 19-Norandosterone, a metabolite of the banned substance nandrolone.

He revealed he was one of two athletes believed to be under a drugs cloud at a press conference he arranged himself in Birmingham on February 8th where he categorically stated his innocence.

But after convening on March 7th, the committee informed UK Athletics that a doping offence may have taken place and Richardson was suspended from competition until his formal hearing - even though the decision was not a declaration of his guilt.

Richardson, one of the few men to beat world 400-metre record-holder Michael Johnson, vowed he had never breached any drug regulations.

After Richardson's fellow training partner Mark Hylton was cleared of a similar offence last week, when it was announced the testing procedures in his nandrolone case had not been foolproof, hopes rose that he too would be cleared.

Richardson, who turns 28 today, was understandably pleased with his early "birthday present".

"I am delighted to have been cleared of all charges and am looking forward to competing this summer and hopefully at the Olympics Games in Sydney," he said.

The IAAF, meanwhile, will almost certainly refer the case to their own arbitration panel - as they have in the cases of fellow British stars Linford Christie, Dougie Walker and Gary Cadogan.