LONDON (AP)

American sprinter LaTasha Jenkins is free to compete again after the World Anti-Doping Agency dropped its appeal of a US arbitration ruling that cleared her of a positive drug test.

The decision means Jenkins is the first athlete to beat the US Anti-Doping Agency on a drug charge.

"Upon an extensive review of the file, we determined that it is impossible to conclude with sufficient certainty that the athlete's sample returned an adverse analytical finding," WADA said yesterday in a statement to The Associated Press.

Jenkins, a silver medallist in the 200 metres at the 2001 world indoor championships and bronze medallist at the 2001 world outdoors, tested positive for the steroid nandrolone at a meet in Brussels, Belgium, in July 2006. She was cleared in December by a three-person US arbitration panel. It ruled the results of her test were compromised because both European labs testing her sample violated international standards that require the tests be run by two different technicians.

WADA appealed that ruling in February to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, in Lausanne, Switzer-land, but has now dropped the case.

"Having carefully reviewed the scientific data of this case, which includes material not available to use from the initial hearing, WADA has reached the conclusion that the adverse analytical findings cannot lead to a sanction against Jenkins," the agency wrote in a letter to CAS released by her lawyers.

The 30-year-old Jenkins had been banned during the appeal process.

"I am happy and relieved that this process of a year and nine months is over," Jenkins said in a statement. "I intend to resume my athletic career when circumstances permit. I'm confident my reputation has been restored and I want to move on with my life."

The decision upholds the earlier arbitration ruling, which broke the US Anti-Doping Agency's 36-0 record of prosecuting American athletes in front of arbitration panels.

Jenkins was defended by the Valparaiso University Sports Law Clinic.

"It was a good day for athletes," said Michael Straubel, a Valparaiso Law School Professor who argued the case along with four university law students.