French hurdler Alice ­Decaux has been banned for six months for a doping offence­, the head of the French ­Athletics Federation told AFP on Friday.

Decaux tested positive for amphetamines in a test conducted at the European team event in the northern English city of Gateshead in June, according to Bernard Amsalem.

The run-up to Moscow has been a rocky one, with the notable positive tests of top sprint rivals Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell, and Veronica Campbell-Brown.