The Australian Olympic Committee(AOC) has banned former world junior track cycling champion Mark French from the Olympics for life after a series of doping offences.

French, 19, who was recently suspended for two years for doping, told Court of Arbitration for Sport investigators he was introduced to the drugs by senior Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) riders.

Cycling Australia was given a three-week deadline two days ago to complete an urgent investigation into allegations that riders at the AIS injected banned drugs at a "shooting gallery".

The AOC ordered the inquiry after the federal parliament was told elite track riders were regularly using performance-enhancing drugs, including a growth hormone used for horses.

According to a CAS report, French provided a statement naming five other riders. The names were passed on to Cycling Australia and the Australian Sports Commission.

Source: Xinhua