Mr. Norayr Vardanyan is an Armenian Athlete competing in the Men’s 94 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 substance dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (turinabol).
After notification the Athlete waived his right to be heard and filed a statement in his defence.
The Athlete stated that he understood that all top level athletes were using Prohibited Substances as his teammates spoke about it very openly. He asserted that he had always assumed that elite weightlifting athletes used Prohibited Substances but was not aware of the process conducting to this practice. He submitted that he did not know what to do and had no advice from anybody.
He asserted that he has been training and competing as a clean athlete in the USA since 2013. He contended that he had been subject to several anti-doping tests and that none of them has return as Adverse Analytical Finding. The Athlete finally asked the Disciplinary Commission to take into consideration the fact that he has been training and competing as a clean athlete for the three last years.
Based on the test results and the Athlete’s admission the Disciplinary Commission concludes that the Athlete has committed an anti-doping rule violation. Therefore the IOC Disciplinary Commission decides on 10 January 2017 that the Athlete Norayr Vardanyan:
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 94 kg weightlifting event in which he participated upon the occasion of the Olympic Games London 2012,
3.) The IWF is requested to modify the results of the above-mentioned event accordingly and to consider any further action within its own competence.
4.) The National Olympic Committee of Armenia shall ensure full implementation of this decision.
5.) This decision enters into force immediately.
