Tamara Clark of the United States' four-month ban for use of IV drip therapy was only announced after it had expired ©Getty Images

The head of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) Brett Clothier has warned athletes against the use of intravenous (IV) drip therapy, after Jamaica's Rushelle Burton and the United States' Tamara Clark were issued with four-month bans - although they were only announced after they had expired.

Both admitted receiving an IV infusion of "more than 100mL in a 12-hour period" on January 25 of this year, and accepted voluntary provisional suspensions from February 1 through to May 30.

No prohibited substances were detected in either athlete, and the AIU said Burton and Clark "proactively informed the AIU about the treatment received and readily cooperated with the subsequent investigation".

The AIU deemed the anti-doping rule violations were "inadvertent and not intentional".

IV infusions or injections have been on the World Anti-Doping Agency's List of Prohibited Substances and Methods since 2005, and were re-classified to "specified methods" in 2021.

Where athletes can establish "no significant fault" for the use of a specified method, they can be banned for up to two years or receive as lenient a penalty as a reprimand depending on their degree of fault.

Rushelle Burton of Jamaica's anti-doping rule violation was deemed to have been
Rushelle Burton of Jamaica's anti-doping rule violation was deemed to have been "inadvertent" by the AIU ©Getty Images

Clothier said Burton and Clark's cases should serve as a warning to athletes, and their offences could carry harsher penalties.

"It is critical that athletes are aware of the rules concerning IV infusions," the Australian official said.

"In this case, the sanctions reflect the fact that the athletes brought the matter to the AIU’s attention themselves, but other athletes may receive harsher sanctions in different circumstances.

"These cases should serve as a warning to all athletes in our sport to take care of what they put into their body."

Burton won women's 100 metres hurdles silver at the World Under-20 Championships in Bydgoszcz in 2016, while Clark finished sixth in the women's 200m final at last year's World Athletics Championships in Eugene.