Japan's anti-doping body has banned a top canoeist for eight years after he spiked a rival's drink with a banned substance to boost his own chances of selection for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The Japan Anti-Doping Agency slapped sprint canoeist Yasuhiro Suzuki, 32, with the eight-year ban, the Japan Canoe Federation announced Tuesday, slamming his offence as "extremely evil".

According to the federation, Suzuki confessed to putting a banned muscle-boosting substance into the drink bottle of rival Seiji Komatsu, 25, during a domestic competition in September. "Suzuki's conduct is totally contrary to the spirit of sporting fair play," the Japan Canoe Federation said in a statement.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2018