Former Bermuda sprinter Troy Douglas has had his doping hearing cancelled for the second time in a week.

Three-time Olympian Douglas, who now competes for Holland, has been waiting for an independent Truth Commission to hear his case after he tested positive for nandrolone on the eve of the World Championships in Seville, Spain, last year.

Douglas, who argues that the test procedure is flawed and will introduce as part of his case a hair sample that he says clears him, was first due to go before the commmission late last year but it was postponed because of the weight of evidence his lawyer was preparing.

Then, last Monday, the hearing was moved back to Thursday because none of his witnesses could attend.

And yesterday, the 200 and 400m runner, who hopes to end his career at this summer's Sydney Olympics, disclosed that the date had been changed to February 21 or 24 after members of the commission, established by the Royal Athletic Union of the Netherlands, said they wanted to go to Cologne to pick up the full report on Douglas' original sample.

However, Douglas, who switched his allegiance to Holland after living and training there for three years, said: "My lawyer asked for those reports back in September and he still hasn't seen anything.

"It's hard to know what I think is going to happen. I'm just having to keep my fingers crossed.'' The delay is further frustration for Douglas, who may yet have to face an International Amateur Athletic Federation arbitration panel, for a final decision on his case.

Two other athletes accused of taking nandrolone, Jamaican sprint star Merlene Ottey and former world 100m champion Linford Christie, of Britain, have returned to their sport after being cleared by their respective national federations.

But, along with high jump world record holder Javier Sotomayor, the Cuban accused of taking cocaine at last summer's Pan American Games, they will still go before the world governing body, which has rejected the national federations' findings.

IAAF officials watched with annoyance as Ottey made her return to competition last week at an indoor meet in Valencia, Spain, winning the 60-metre dash in 7.14 seconds. The 39-year-old Ottey had pulled out of a meet in Germany last weekend after officials lobbied to keep her out.

Meanwhile, Sotomayor is scheduled to make his first appearance since his positive drug test at an indoor meet in Patrai, Greece, on February 15.

Christie is retired from competition, but remains active as a coach. He plans to go to Australia this month to train a group of British sprinters.

The trio, plus Douglas, face two year suspensions if their tests are proved to be positive. Such a ruling would almost certainly end Douglas' career.

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