Facts
The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) alleges Brian Banner, the player, for a violation of the Anti-Doping rules. On April 26, 2015, during a training camp the player provided a sample for doping test purposes. Analysis of the sample showed the presence of four separate anabolic agents, namely, oxandrolone, metandienone, drostanolone and dehydrochlormethyltestosterone. These substances are prohibited according the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2015 prohibited list, their use is prohibited at all times, both in and out of competition.
History
The athlete agreed to a provisional suspension and admitted the anti-doping rule violation. He claimed that the positive test derived from a supplement he had used. From a friend he had used Tribulus Terrestris (TT) capsules from an unsealed bottle. He was told that it was a natural product and used it for curing an injured shoulder. He stopped using it because it did not seemed to work. However there is no indication that the four steroids where part of this supplement. The product had not been tested. An expert indicates that the distribution of such substances is illegal in Canada although they can be acquired on the black market. Especially drostanolone preparations must be injected intra-muscularly. In conclusion, the expert expressed the opinion that it was not possible that all four anabolic agents detected in the athlete's urine sample were contained in the TT product that he claimed to have ingested or were formed by his body following ingestion.
The cause of the positive test is not made clear, the Athlete can not establish that the violation was not intentional. Because of the early admission the period of ineligibility starts from the date of the sample collection.
Decision
- The sanction is a period of ineligibility of four years running from April 26, 2015.
