Mr. Rauli Tsirekidze is a Georgian Athlete competing in the Men’s 85 kg weightlifting event at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
In 2016, the IOC decided to perform further analyses on certain samples collected during the 2012 Olympic Games. These additional analyses were performed with analytical methods which were not available in 2012.
In July 2016 the International Olympic Committee reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Athlete after his 2012 A and B samples tested positive for the prohibited substances dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (turinabol) and stanozolol.
After notification the IWF ordered a provisional suspension preventing the Athlete to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The Athlete filed a statement in his defence and was heard for the IOC Disciplinary Commission.
The Athlete disputed the validity of the analytical results and denied the use of performance-enhancing substances. As an explanation for the presence of the Prohibited Substances, he raises the hypothesis that the substances may have been contained in supplements used at that time. Also the Athlete indicated that he already had served a 2 year period of ineligibility until April 2015 imposed by the European Weightlifiting Federation for another doping rule violation (T/E 15,8).
Without evidence for his hypothesis the Commission concludes that the Athlete has committed an anti-doping rule violation consistent with intentional use of prohibited substances specifically ingested to deliberately improve performance. The fact that the metabolites of two doping substances, which are “classical” doping substances, were found, supports this consideration.
Therefore the IOC Disciplinary Commission decides on 10 November 2016 that the Athlete, Rauli Tsirekidze:
1.) is found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation pursuant to the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the Games of the XXX Olympiad in London in 2012 (presence, and/or use, of Prohibited Substances or its Metabolites or Markers in an athlete’s bodily specimen),
2.) is disqualified from the Men’s 85 kg weightlifting event in which he participated upon the occasion of the Olympic Games London 2012;
4.) The IWF is requested to modify the results of the above-mentioned event accordingly and to consider any further action within its own competence.
5.) The Georgian National Olympic Committee shall ensure full implementation of this decision.
6.) This decision enters into force immediately.
