MONTE CARLO, Monaco, 20 (AP) - High jump world record-holder Javier Sotomayor of Cuba, suspended after testing positive for cocaine at last year's Pan American Games, will have his case heard April 7-8 by an IAAF arbitration panel.
The International Amateur Athletic Federation also set July 6-9 as the hearing dates for 1992 Olympic 100-meter champion Linford Christie of Britain, who was suspended after testing positive for the steroid nandrolone.
Two other Brits also facing nandrolone charges will have their cases heard on the same date: European 200-meter champion Doug Walker and hurdler Gary Cadogan.
All four athletes could face two-year bans.
Sotomayor was stripped of his Pan Am gold medal after testing positive for cocaine in July in Canada. Backed by Fidel Castro, Cuba's track federation refused to suspend Sotomayor and suggested he had been set up.
Last month, Sotomayor was scheduled to compete at an indoor meet in Greece. But he was dropped from the competition after the IAAF, closing a loophole that allowed athletes to compete while their drug cases were unresolved, suspended him pending the arbitration hearing.
The three Britons were cleared by UK Athletics - Britain's track and field governing body - but the decision was overturned last month by the IAAF, which sent the case to arbitration. Christie, 39, has retired from competition, but Walker and Cadogan still hope to compete in this year's
Olympics.
AP-NY-03-20-00 1227EST
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