Monaco, Jul 13 (AP) Nijel Amos, an Olympic silver medalist in the men's 800 meters, has been suspended ahead of the world championships after testing positive for a rare banned substance.

The Athletics Integrity Unit said Tuesday that the 28-year-old Amos gave a sample on June 4 which was found to contain GW1516, an experimental drug which can modify the body's metabolism but has been considered too dangerous for human use.

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Amos had been set to race the 800 heats of the world championships in Eugene, Oregon, on July 20. He won silver at the 2012 Olympics, becoming the first-ever medalist for Botswana.

“The athlete was notified of the adverse analytical finding and his mandatory provisional suspension this afternoon in Eugene,” the AIU said.

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GW1516 was developed to help build endurance and burn fat but was found to cause cancer during tests on rodents. Anti-doping organizations have warned athletes not to use it on safety grounds.

The drug has previously been found in samples given by professional cyclists and by Olympic race-walker Elena Lashmanova. The Russian served a two-year ban and was later stripped of the 20-kilometer gold medal she won at the 2012 Olympics for another doping offense. AP

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