In April 2017 World Rugby has reported an anti-doping rule violations against the rugby player Lucky Schuster Palamo after his A and B samples tested positive for the prohibited substance Salbutamol in a concentation above the WADA threshold.
After notification the Athlete admitted the violation, denied the intentional use of the substance, waived his right to be heard and filed a statement in his defence.
The Athlete stated that he suffered from asthma since childhood and the symptoms deteriorates during exercise including training and playing rugby. The asthma is more severe in hotter weather conditions necessitating an increased use of inhaled Salbutamol to manage his symptoms. He asserted that he was not aware that excessive use of his inhaler would result in an anti-doping violation. During the competition in Suva in March 2017 the Athlete used his inhaler more frequently due to the hot and humid conditions since he had never played in Fiji and had played all of his rugby matches in either New Zealand or Australia.
World Rugby accepted that the violation was not intentional, that he acted with No Significant Fault or Negligence due to his careless use of his inhaler and requested for the imposition of a 3 month period of ineligibility.
Considering the circumstances and evidence in this case the Judicial Committee agrees that the Athlete’s fault was not significant or negligent. Therefore the World Rugby Judicial Committee decides on 16 August 2017 to impose a 3 month period of ineligibility on the Athlete starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 18 April 2017.
