Facts
The International Rugby Board (IRB) alleges Evgeny Pronenko for a violation of the Anti-Doping Rules. On 12th July 2011, Evgeny Pronenko ("the Player") provided an urine Sample during an Out-of-Competition Test conducted. His sample tested positive on Furosemide, it is classified as a diuretic under s.5 of the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) List of Prohibited Substances and Methods.
History
The Player stated that during he suffered a calf muscle injury which was successfully treated by his Club's Doctor. However on 1st July 2011 after testing the muscle the lower part of his leg became swollen and painful. Because the Club's Doctor in Krasnoyarsk (Siberia) was unavailable, his family insisted he obtained treatment from a local Licensed Medical and Diagnostic Clinic where he consulted Dr Sergey Skurat. Dr Skurat noted the Player had a "significant odema". He stated the Player's symptoms presented an "emergency situation" and he could not discount a diagnosis of Deep Vein Thrombosis. Thus, he prescribed the
diuretic to reduce the swelling. He was also prescribed a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (Movalis) and Nise Gel for pain relief. Over the following days the Player's condition improved. As a result he stopped taking the medication on 4th July 2011 and because the symptoms had settled on 12th July 2011 when he signed the Doping Control form, he inadvertently omitted to refer to any of the medication Dr Skurat had prescribed. He only referred to "Dexametason" (anti inflammatory medication) which had been prescribed on 8th July 2011 by the Russian National Team Doctor. By this stage, the Player was a participant in a Training Camp with the National Team which was preparing for RWC 2011 to be played in New Zealand.
Decision
For the reasons outlined, the sanction imposed for this anti-doping rule violation is a period of ineligibility of six months commencing from 21st July 2011 (being the date upon which the Player's provisional suspension commenced) and concluding (but inclusive of) the 21st January 2012.
