British skier Alain Baxter has been stripped of his Olympic bronze medal.

The International Olympic Committee's executive committee confirmed the decision at 1420 GMT on Thursday. Baxter can appeal to the IOC, but may also face a two year ban from the ISF. The Bronze medal now goes to Benjamin Raich of Austria who finished fourth.

A statement from Alain Baxter reads:

It had been a difficult season, after making the break into the world slalom elite, finishing 11th in the World Cup Slalom standings in 2001, I encountered some equipment problems and was not achieving the consistent top 10 placings of 2001. In January the equipment issues were resolved and from Wengen my form began to return. In Schladming, the final World Cup prior to Salt Lake, I had the best race runs of my season, although I straddled a gate and failed to finish the 2nd run. I knew I was returning to form.

On the 12th of February, I arrived in Salt Lake. The next day we rested and were visited by the Team GB doctors and Mark England, deputy Chef de Mission. They visited all Team GB athletes on arrival. As our races were in the Park City area, the Alpine team was not based in the Olympic village with the other athletes, but in a BOA house, closer to Park City. The medical Team checked the few medications I had with me. All were safe.

Training began really well. I was skiing better than I had all season and I had a really good feeling about it. I felt that a really great result was possible. Initially, I had planned to race both Giant Slalom and Slalom, but on 16th February, I took a fairly spectacular fall, injuring my knee. It was decided that I would not race the GS and would concentrate on slalom, my specialist event.

I have a history of nasal congestion. In fact, an operation to cure the problem had been suggested, but with a need to avoid altitude for some time after the operation this would not have been possible without interrupting my normal team programme. My nose was very blocked in Salt Lake and I discussed this with the doctor, when she came to examine my knee. I asked Christian Schwaiger, my coach, to get me a Vicks inhaler. I have always found this the best short term remedy for my problem. I have used this product since I was a child. I had been using one, purchased in the UK, before I left Europe for Slat Lake, but had left it in Lofer, at the BOA training base. Christian returned with a Vicks Sinex (a liquid spray). We showed this to the doctor, who said it was OK. He also bought a dehumidifier for the room, which my brother Noel and I were sharing.

The Vicks Sinex felt very strong when I used it. The liquid almost clears the nose too far back into the throat. Without it I still had a blocked nose. I was at the shops and saw a Vicks Inhaler and bought it. It never crossed my mind that its contents were different to the UK product – they look the same - or that it was any different to the Sinex the doctor had checked before.

Training continued to go well. My physio worked continuously on my knee. Slalom is an unpredictable discipline. You need two good runs. I knew if I could nail two good runs, I would have a chance of a good results. I knew I could be on for a top ten at least – a podium result was not out of the question.

It was important to get into the top 15 on the first run, in order to get a good start in the 2nd. The course was tough and many skiers failed to finish. I made a couple of big mistakes in the 1st run, but finished 8th=. Despite the mistakes, I was delighted with this placing and had to go for it in the second run. At an Olympics there is no point in holding back. Everyone has to go for the podium.

It was a tough hill and the conditions were not ideal. They had iced the course but the temperature had risen and parts of the course were soft. It was rutting badly and a low start number on the 2nd run was a big advantage.

After my second run, I thought I’d blown it. I was 0.5 seconds down on Amiez and felt sure that the guys to follow, with a time advantage from the 1st run would overtake my time. I was in the finish tent having my equipment checked as one after another the other guys either skied slower than me or failed to finish the course (as is common in slalom, particularly at championship events, where there is so much at stake on the day). Regardless, I still did not think I would be on the podium. By now I was lying at worst in 4th place. I was walking towards the BBC to fulfil post race media commitments, when I looked up to see Bode Miller come out of the course. He had been the hot favourite – if he finished. At that point I knew I had a medal. Vidal had a great run and took Gold. I had bronze.

I was informed I had got to doping control within an hour of the race. I did this in the company of the doctor. You are asked to declare any medication you have taken. I did not even think of the Vicks inhaler as medication. I did not name it. We went to the medals ceremony and had a night out.

The return home to Aviemore was amazing. I was a local hero. This was the first ever skiing medal for Great Britain and everyone was so proud. I was so proud. The culmination of 11 years work on the team. The locals had a big party for me. Two days later I took a call from Simon Clegg, Chef de Mission, who informed me that I had tested positive. I was stunned. I could not understand how this had happened. I have never taken a performance enhancing drug in my life. I don’t even take legal supplements.

The US Vicks inhaler has a different composition for the UK one. It contains levomethamphetemine. The malignant isomer of methamphetamine and not dextromehtamphetamine, more commonly known as speed.

I took a Vicks inhaler. I had 25 nanogramms of “methamphetamine” (the IOC would not allow the test to prove that this is levomehtamphetamine) in my body. This is less than the permissible amounts of other malignant stimulent isomers, such as pseudo ephedrine.

I had a blocked nose. I took the Vicks inhaler I had always used. I am not a cheat.

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