Tyson Fury denies doping claim

Controversial British heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury strongly denied a newspaper claim yesterday that he failed a doping test last year.The Sunday Mirror alleged that Fury — who won the belt in an upset defeat of Wladimir Klitschko last November — returned a sample with a banned steroid in it.“We are baffled by today’s story in the Sunday Mirror,” said a statement from Fury’s promoter Hennessy Sports. “Tyson Fury absolutely denies any allegation of doping. He looks forward to recovering from his injury and defending his titles against Wladimir Klitschko in October.”The allegation comes only two days after the 27-year-old — who has sparked a furore with sexist remarks about women, homosexuality and paedophilia — said he would not be able to defend the WBA, WBO and IBO belts in a rematch with Klitschko in July after injuring his ankle during a run.The Mirror claimed that the banned steroid nandrolone — which aids muscle growth — had been discovered in a test Fury underwent either in February or March last year, well before his remarkable win over the ageing Klitschko.UK Anti-Doping agency refused to confirm or deny the allegations.