The New Zealand Sports Drug Agency (NZSD) and the New Zealand Federation of Bodybuilders (NZFBB) have reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Respondent after her sample tested positive for the prohibited substance Clenbuterol.
After notification by the NZFBB the Respondent filed a statement in her defence and was heard for the Tribunal.
The Respondent was born and raised in the Czech Republic but has lived in New Zealand since 1999. At the end of 2004 she visited family in the Czech Republic and caught the flu. She used medicines belonging to her mother to treat this and one of these was Spiropent. Spiropent is a trade name for prohibited substance Clenbuterol. Respondent brought the Spiropent tablets back to New Zealand and used these again to treat flu like symptoms she developed three to four days before the competition.
Although she may not have received information about drugs before she competed in the Championships, she admitted she was aware of the need to avoid drugs and of the need for sport to be drug free. She took medication a few days before the Championship without checking what she was taking and the likely effect on her. The Respondent took no steps to ensure that the Spiropent was not a prohibited substance. Her inaction amounted to significant fault.
The Sports Disputes Tribunal of New Zealand decides to impose a 2 year period of ineligibility on the Respondent starting on 22 May 2005. In addition her competition results are disqualified.
