Related case:
FISA 2008 FISA vs Alexander Litvintchev, Evgeny Luzyanin & Ivan Podshivalov
January 14, 2008
FISA 2008 FISA vs Russian Rowing Federation (1)
January 27, 2008
FISA 2008 FISA vs Russian Rowing Federation (2)
April 4, 2008
The International Federation of Rowing Associations (FISA) was informed that medical materials were found in a rubbish bin near the hotel used by the Russian team in Lucerne during the World Cup Regatta from 13-15 July 2007.
This comprised intravenous infusion equipment, along with legal substances such as creatine and fructose. The materials were taken to the Anti-Doping Laboratory in Lausanne and analysed. Hereafter the DNA of a total of 8 blood samples, provided by the Russian Athlete’s, matched with the DNA samples from the blood found on the needles.
Hereafter in August 2007 FISA imposed a 2 year period of ineligibility on three Athletes of the Russian team for intravenous infusion of substances for other than a legitimate acute medical treatment.
In September 2007 the International Federation of Rowing Associations (FISA) reported anti-doping rule violations against three Athletes of the Russian men’s eight and against two Athlete’s, Anastasia Fatina and Anastasia Karabelshchikova from the women’s eight, for intravenous infusion with no legitimate medical treatment.
FISA notified the five Athletes and a provisional suspension was ordered.
The Russian Rowing Federation submitted a document which stated that the team doctor did not use intravenous injections to introduce substances to the Athletes.
However in a second submitted document the former team doctor admitted his involvement with intravenous infusions and he did administer intravenous infusions to the three male Athletes as prescribed medical treatment for dehydration and convulsions.
The former team doctor made no comment about the two female Athletes in this case.
In a third document the president of the Russian Rowing Federation stated, in contradiction with the first document, that intravenous infusions took place as legitimate medical treatment for the three male Athletes administered by the team doctor.
In the case of the two female Athletes, the Russian Rowing Federation produced evidence in November 2007 that blood had been drawn in July 2007 from a total of 44 Russian Athletes, including the Athlete’s Fatina and Karabelshchikova, and that the blood was analysed by a laboratory in Moscow for ten parameters.
After further questions, in January 2008, the Russian Rowing Federation produced different evidence that the blood was not transported to Moscow and analysed in Moscow but was, in fact, analysed in a hotel room in Lucerne on a blood analysis machine which contradicts the previous evidence submitted in November 2007.
On the basis of the medical reports provided by the Russian Federation, the Panel finds that the Russian Rowing Federation has presented two different versions of what took place in the hotel room in Lucerne in July 2007 and that both appear not plausible and in contradiction with the evidence. In addition the Panel finds that there has been no credible evidence to support the assertion that blood was drawn from the two female Athletes in Lucerne.
The Panel concludes that the evidence is overwhelming that similar treatments were carried out on all eight Russian Athletes, i.e. infusions or other blood manipulation and that, in all cases, there was no legitimate medical treatment involved. The Panel notes that the contradiction in the Russian statements does raise questions as to the reliability of the submitted evidence.
Therefore the FISA Doping Hearing Panel decides to impose a 2 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete’s Anastasia Fatina and Anastasia Karabelshchikova, starting on 27 August 2007.
