In October 2015 the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Slovak Athlete after his A and B samples tested positive for the prohibited substance 19-norandrosterone in a low concentration.
After notification a provisional suspension was ordered. The Athlete filed a statement with evidence in his defence and he was heard for the FIVB Disciplinary Panel.
The Athlete denied the intentional use of the substance and asserted that the supplement he had used was contaminated. Because his usual approved supplement wasn’t available the Athlete had purchased this supplement. He only had researched the label of this product and not consulted any anti-doping professionals or authorities before using the supplement.
He admitted that he failed to mention the supplement on the Doping Control Form and argued that there were grounds for a reduced sanction.
The FIVB conducted an investigation on this supplement provided by the Athlete and on the same supplement from the store where the Athlete had purchased this product.
Analysis results from the accredited laboratory in Cologne showed that the prohibited substance was found in the supplement provided by the Athlete and also in the supplement purchased in the store.
The Panel accepts the evidence confirming that the Athlete’s supplement was contaminated with the prohibited substance.
The Panel notes that the Athlete is a professional volleyball player who had received anti-doping information and therefore should have been educated about the danger of contamination in supplements.
Considering the proven contamination and the Athlete’s degree of fault in this case the FIVB Disciplinary Panel decides on 9 February 2016 to impose a 9 month period of ineligibility starting on the date of the sample collection, i.e. on 9 October 2015.
