Ms. Ruza Kuzieva is a Uzbekistani Athlete in the sport op IPC Powerlifting. She competeted at the 5th Fazaa International Powerlifting Competition event in Dubai, United Arab Emitates where she provided a sample for doping control.
In April 2013 the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Athlete after her A and B samples tested positive for the prohibited substance methandienone.
After notification a provisional suspension was ordered and the Athlete was heard for the IPC Anti-Doping Committee.
The Athlete stated she did not know how the prohibited substance entered her body and was not able to explain the adverse analytical finding. The IPC Hearing Panel concluded that it seems unlikely that the vitamin C or the anti-flu drug purchased over the counter at a pharmacy would be the source of the prohibited substance in question. In any case, the Hearing Panel requests that NPC Uzbekistan should, in advance of the hearing, have followed up with the Athlete to determine how the substance could have entered the Athlete’s body and to take steps to ensure that a similar occurrence does not take place again. The Hearing Panel requests that the IPC receive a follow-up report from the NPC regarding the issue as soon as possible.
The Hearing Panel does not consider that Article 10.5 applies as the Respondent has failed to provide evidence that the circumstances in her case were truly exceptional.
The IPC Anti-Doping Committee recommends the following to the IPC Governing Board:
(a.) pursuant to Article 9 of the Code, disqualification of the results obtained in the Competition on 23 February 2013 with all resulting consequences, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes;
(b.) pursuant to Article 10.1 of the Code, disqualification of all of the Respondent's individual results obtained in that Event (from 23-27 February 2013) with all Consequences, including forfeiture of all medals, points and prizes;
(c.) pursuant to Article 10.2 of the Code, a two (2) year period of ineligibility should be imposed on the Respondent;
(d.) pursuant to Article 10.9.3 of the Code, the Respondent shall receive credit for the period of provisional suspension and should therefore be declared ineligible from 19 April 2013 (date of notification) until 18 April 2015; and
(e.) pursuant to Article 10.11 of the Code and the IPC Handbook, Section 2, Chapter 1.2 (‘Rules on the imposition of financial sanctions for anti-doping rule violations’), a financial sanction of €1.500,- should be imposed on the Respondent.
On 08 June 2013 the IPC Governing Board accepted the recommendation of the IPC Anti-Doping Committee.
