Javelin star gets 20-month ban after mix-up over whereabouts for test Missed drug test: Jarrod Bannister has warned other athletes. MOSCOW: Australian javelin thrower Jarrod Bannister, a dual Olympian and former national champion, has been banned for 20 months after missing three drug tests. The Commonwealth gold medallist was banned for less than the maximum two years because the Court of Arbitration for Sport recognised he had not deliberately tried to dodge the bans and there were extenuating circumstances for missing the last of the three tests in the 18-month period. It is understood a mix-up between Bannister and Athletics Australia over international accommodation he had been booked into by the body contributed to the third of the missed drug tests. Bannister said the findings of arbitrator Alan Sullivan, SC, should force AA, the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority and World Anti-Doping Agency to review procedures for dealing with athletes' whereabouts. Bannister criticised AA for deficiencies in their handling of athletes and warned other athletes to be vigilant with diarising their movements and their dealings with AA. "It was found that there was no deliberate action by myself to avoid being tested, that finding is consistent with my defence submissions at the hearing on the 21 June 2013," Bannister said. To safeguard other athletes, especially Australian athletes I would encourage them to be vigilant when dealing with Athletics Australia and ASADA. He urged athletes accommodated by Athletics Australia they should check the room list daily and make sure all correspondence with AA is in writing not verbal. He admitted he had taken his responsibilities too lightly. I do hope that Athletics Australia, ASADA and WADA take on board the comments by Mr Sullivan, SC, based on those comments those organisations should review their operations and procedures. Athletics Australia chief executive Dallas O'Brien said the ban was disappointing and acknowledged AA needed to look at how it could help athletes. "We are disappointed that Jarrod did not meet his obligations as one of our top-performing athletes and this case demonstrates the need for all athletes to be diligent and responsible," O'Brien added. It is the individual athlete's responsibility to notify the World Anti-Doping Agency of all international travel arrangements and precise accommodation arrangements. We acknowledge this can be challenging once the athlete is already overseas and perhaps we need to look at how we can do a little more to assist the athletes in those circumstances.