US ATHLETICS officials have suspended Mary Slaney, making her ineligible for the national championships which began yesterday.

However, USATF spokesman Pete Cava declined to comment. "I cannot say anything about Mary Slaney's status," he said.

Slaney's husband, Richard, said the couple had not been notified personally. "If that's what they have done, she will not come to Indianapolis. Why should she? To do what?" Richard Slaney said.

He said there probably would not be enough time to seek arbitration or a court order.

The decision to suspend Slaney was based on a review by the US board of her drug test at last summer's US Olympic trials.

Cava said when a doping test is found to be positive, the date of ineligibity begins with the day the sample was taken and all performances since that date would be invalid.

That means Slaney, if the disputed test is ultimately labelled positive, would be stripped of her silver medal performance in the women's 1,500 metres at the world indoor championships in March and she would be required to return $20,000 in prize-money.