South Korean badminton gold medallist Lee Yon-dae has 1-year doping ban reversed

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – The Badminton World Federation has reversed a one-year ban handed to Olympic gold medallist Lee Yon-dae for missing doping tests.

The Malaysia-based BWF on Tuesday said that Lee and fellow South Korean player Kim Ki-jung are eligible to resume competition immediately.

Both players were banned in January after accumulating three “whereabouts failures” in out-of-competition testing, despite a disciplinary panel finding that the Badminton Korea Association failed to “make diligent efforts to keep the BWF informed about the players’ whereabouts.”

The BWF reversed the ban “based on significant new evidence” presented in the disciplinary committee process against the BKA and in an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Lee won gold in the mixed doubles at the 2008 Olympics and bronze in the men’s doubles at London 2012.