In April 2017 the UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the football player Darren McCormack after his sample tested positive for the prohibited substance metandienone. After notification the Athlete gave a prompt admission, filed a statement in his defence and was heard for the National Anti-Doping Panel.
The Athlete stated that he trained together at a boxing gym with a good friend. He usually took protein shakes at the end of a training session but had run out of own supply that particular week. His friend had then offered to make him shakes. He had not told him that he had inserted a fat burner into the shakes he provide until after the Athlete had been notified that he was tested positive. The Athlete’s friend testified that he had Dbol / Dianabol tablets (metandienone) from a bodybuilder. He understood that these tablets were just fat burners and he added these tablets to the shakes because he wanted to be in shape.
UKAD argued that the Athlete failed to establish that the had acted not intentional and that there were serious issues as to the credibility of the witnesses. In this regard UKAD pointed to a number of matters.
The Tribunal agrees that there are inconsistencies in the statements and it his has doubts about the overall credibility of the witnesses due to the notable lack of important details.
The Tribunal was not satisfied that the Athlete has established how the Prohibited Substance entered his system and finds that he intentionally committed the anti-doping violation.
Considering the prompt admission the National Anti-Doping Panel decides on 28 September 2017 to impose a 4 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete starting on the date of the sample collection, i.e. on 8 April 2017.
