American cyclist Carl Grove has lost one world record, but gained another that he probably never dreamed of in his worst nightmares.
Grove, 90, has become sport's oldest drug offender, after testing positive at the US masters track cycling championships last July.
After winning his age-group 2000m individual pursuit title - as the only competitor - in a record time of 3m 06.129s, he submitted a urine sample that included the banned anabolic steroid epitrenbolone.
Grove had passed a drugs test the previous day and blamed his positive result on contaminated meat he ate later that night.
But during its investigation, the US Anti-Doping Authority discovered he had also taken supplements that included another banned substance, clomiphene.
Authorities have issued Grove a public warning, stripping him of his pursuit crown and record, but allowing him to keep the sprint and time trial titles won earlier at the event.
The culprit was less than impressed with his ordeal.
"Us old guys are kind of like peanuts," Grove told Associated Press. "I think that they're wasting their time.
"What can I gain at 90 years old, doing drugs? Tell me, I just don't know.
"I think that somewhere there ought to be a cut-off and they ought to zero in on the stuff that is done for money reasons or whatever it may be. After 65 or 70, you know, they ought to just give up."
Grove is a former saxophonist in the US Navy band and has played for presidents. Longevity is in his family - his mother and father lived to 105 and 97 respectively.
"I was really kind of down for a while, but I'm over it," he said. "I wanted to be an inspiration, if possible - I worked like a real horse to do it.
"The thing that I really, really care about is that I wanted to be a sterling, totally clean person in front of people that knew about me.
"It looked like I had not been an honest person to a lot of people."
Newshub.
