Doping-Japanese wrestler banned for steroid use

TOKYO Jun 13 (Reuters) - Three-times Japanese Greco-Roman wrestling champion Katsuya Kitamura was banned for two years on Monday after testing positive for anabolic steroids, meaning the 25-year-old will miss the London Olympics next year.

The triple 96-kilo national champion, the first Japanese wrestler to fail a drugs test, told Japan's anti-doping agency JADA he took the substance by accident after buying supplements abroad.

"We never thought our wrestlers bought supplements from overseas," Japan Wrestling Federation (JWF) general secretary Yuji Takada told local media.

"This has smeared the sports community with the London Olympics coming up. We will take measures to ensure this does not happen again."

Kitamura -- who the JWF said tested positive for the banned muscle-building substance drostanolone -- is not expected to appeal the ban, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported.

The wrestler has represented Japan at two world championships without winning a medal.

(Reporting by Alastair Himmer; Editing by Mark Meadows. To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)