Simon Daubney, a member of the winning Alinghi crew in the America’s Cup yachting competition last year, has been banned by the top sports court after a positive test for cocaine.

Daubney failed a test on June 23, 2007, during Alinghi’s 5- 2 victory against Team New Zealand in the best-of-nine series. He receives a two-year ban from the Court of Arbitration for Sport, backdated to start July 14, 2007.

The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed to the Lausanne, Switzerland-based court after the America’s Cup Jury did not sanction him and the Swiss Olympic Association backed the organizer’s verdict.

CAS said in today’s statement that the jury decision could not be recognized “considering that the organizers of the 32nd America’s Cup did not adopt anti-doping rules which are consistent with the World Anti-Doping Code.”

Daubney, a 49-year-old from New Zealand, told Alinghi’s Web site in September 2007 that he has `”never knowingly taken a banned substance.” He resigned from the team, saying he hoped to return when his name was cleared.

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