Mensing doping ban revealed

It has been revealed that Hamilton midfielder Simon Mensing served a month-long suspension for testing positive for a banned substance.

Mensing received notice of the ban in January from UK doping body UKAD after he tested positive for methylhexaneamine, but at the time his wife had just given birth and the club hinted he was unavailable because of family commitments.

Methylhexaneamine can boost the heart rate and is found in foods, medicines and dietary supplements.

Mensing took the supplement in September 2010, and UKAD sent out notice in November that methylhexaneamine was banned.

Mensing played his final game before the ban in Hamilton’s January 22 draw with Inverness, and said he would never knowingly ingest a banned substance.

“I did everything I could to check that it was alright,” Mensing said. “This whole saga has been a nightmare for me and my family.”

“I should make it clear that I would never have taken any banned substance in a million years – and made every effort to check in advance that the dietary supplement I did take was clean.”

“I am glad it has been recognised by the anti-doping authority that I did not know that the supplement was contaminated by something that I now know is called methylhexaneamine.”

“They also accepted that I had made no effort to improve enhance my performance as I did not know I had ingested the substance.”

“However, it still leaves a bitter taste that I have been prevented from playing because the rules are that if any substance is found in your body, whether you knew or not, then you bear responsibility.”

“It’s strict liability and that is very hard to take when you are completely innocent.”

“When I gave my routine urine sample at the end of the game on 29 December I told the testers I was taking this – I made no attempt to hide it.”

“What makes this even more of a nightmare is there was no way of knowing that this substance was in what appeared to be a perfectly good dietary supplement.”

“The whole saga has been hugely frustrating but my conscience is absolutely clear.”

The 28-year-old German-born Englishman returned to the Hamilton line up for their 1-1 draw with Dundee United at New Douglas Park on Saturday.