Bernice Wilson (born 21 April 1984) is a former British sprinter who represented her country at the

2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships The 2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships were held at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in Paris, France, from 4 to 6 March 2011. 577 athletes representing 46 countries competed at the championships. Twenty-six track and field events we ...

and served two bans from track and field athletics for anti-doping violations. An English Schools

200 metres The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightl ...

finalist in 1997, Wilson went on to reach numerous finals at age group, regional and national level before making her big senior break-through by coming second in the

60 metres 60 metres, or 60-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior at ...

at the 2010 British Indoor Athletics Championships. Wilson set a new personal best time of 7.25secs when she finished runner-up to

Jodie Williams Jodie Alicia Williams (born 28 September 1993) is a British sprinter who specialises in the 400 metres, having begun her career concentrating on 100 and 200 metres. A prodigious junior, she is the 2009 World Youth Champion at 100 and 200 m, ...

in the 60 metres at the 2011 British Indoor Athletics Championships in Sheffield on 12 February 2011 leading to her selection for the following month's

European Athletics Indoor Championships The European Athletics Indoor Championships is a biennial indoor track and field competition for European athletes that is organised by the European Athletic Association. It was held for the first time in 1970, replacing the European Indoor Games, ...

in Paris, France. There she made it through the heats but finished fifth in her semi-final running a time of 7.28 and therefore missing out on a place in the final. In July 2011 it was announced Wilson had been provisionally suspended from competition having failed an anti-doping test after the banned substances anabolic steroid testosterone and

Clenbuterol Clenbuterol is a sympathomimetic amine used by sufferers of breathing disorders as a decongestant and bronchodilator. People with chronic breathing disorders such as asthma use this as a bronchodilator to make breathing easier. It is most commonl ...

were found in an urine sample she provided at the Bedford International Games on June 12. The athlete blamed a contaminated sample but she was subsequently given a four-year ban from athletics. While still banned in February 2015, she failed an out-of-competition test for another banned substance, the fertility drug

clomiphene Clomifene, also known as clomiphene, is a medication used to treat infertility in women who do not ovulate, including those with polycystic ovary syndrome. Use results in a greater chance of twins. It is taken by mouth once a day, with a course ...

, but due to the substantial assistance she provided to

UK Anti-Doping UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) is the organisation responsible for protecting sport in the United Kingdom from doping. It is a non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and is structured as a company limited by guarantee. ...

(UKAD) and a prompt admission of guilt, her second suspension was reduced from 40 months to 10 months. It was later revealed that Wilson's coach and then boyfriend, George Skafidas, had been giving her the clomiphene without her knowledge by replacing her vitamin tablets with the drugs. In 2016 Skafidas was given a lifetime ban from athletics after admitting nine anti-doping rule violations. Wilson is now part of the UKAD Athlete Commission seeking to help others avoid the pitfalls into which she fell.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Bernice Living people 1984 births British female sprinters English female sprinters

See also

References