PARIS — The United States women's 4x400 metres relay team will be stripped of their gold medal from the 2004 Athens Olympics after the suspension of Crystal Cox for doping, world athletics governing body IAAF confirmed.

"This athlete recently accepted a 4-year period of ineligibility and disqualification of her results from 2001 after having admitted her involvement in the BALCO conspiracy," the IAAF said in a statement.

"She took part in the 4x400m US Relay team who won the gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. According to the IAAF Competition Rules in effect in 2004, the US relay team results will be disqualified accordingly."

Second-placed Russia are set to receive gold ahead of Jamaica and Britain.

Some of the biggest stars in US sport have been swept up in the BALCO steroids probe including sprinter Marion Jones, who was stripped of her Olympic titles after admitting to steroid use.

Meanwhile, US sprinter Justin Gatlin, the Olympic 100m champion in 2004, has had his request for an early return rejected by the Doping Review Board. His four-year ban runs until July 24 next year.

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