After cocaine suspension, Yuri van Gelder will miss 2012 Olympics

October 28, 6:23 AMGymnastics ExaminerBlythe Lawrence

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The Royal Dutch Gymnastics Federation handed Yuri van Gelder a one-year suspension for testing positive for cocaine at the Dutch Championships in June, ending his chances to compete at the 2012 Olympics.

Van Gelder will be able to return to international competition in the summer of 2010, but International Olympic Committee rules stipulate that athletes who receive any sort of suspension for more than six months are not eligible to compete at the next Olympic Games.

Theoretically this means van Gelder would be able to compete in 2016, though at the time he would be 33 years old. It's not an impossibility -- Bulgaria's Jordan Jovtchev, 36, proved he was still competitive at this year's World Championships, where he took silver on rings.

Van Gelder, the 2005 World champion and 2009 European champion on rings, told the media had been using cocaine for years to relax at parties. He denouced his actions as stupid and irresponsible, but said at the time that he hoped to make a comeback in gymnastics after his suspension. The 2010 World Championships will be held in Rotterdam next October.

Van Gelder did not compete at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, since the Dutch men did not qualify a full team and he did not win the World rings title in 2007. He did not receive the men's wildcard to the Games, though many felt he was worthy of it. Epke Zonderland was the sole Dutch male gymnast in Beijing.

Yuri van Gelder, 2005 European Championships Event Finals, Rings: