In June 2017 the UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the 60 year old cyclist Stephen Costello after his sample tested positive for the prohibited substances 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine, GW1516 and Ostarine.
After notification a provisional suspension was ordered.
The Athlete filed a statement in his defence and he was heard for the National Anti-Doping Panel.
The Athlete admitted the presence of the substances in his sample and stated that he had consumed a drink, or drinks, prepared by his wife into which, without his knowledge, she had added a number of supplements containing the prohibited substances.
the Athlete argued that on the balance of probabilities, he can establish how the non-Specified Substances entered his system. In addition, the Athlete’s position was that he had no idea that the breakfast smoothies he was taking contained any of the Supplements and he therefore cannot have been deliberately engaging in conduct which he knew constituted an ADRV.
The Tribunal notes that the evidence to support the Athlete’s claim that his wife was spiking his smoothies was solely his word and that of his wife. The tubes that contained the Supplements had been discarded, there were no receipts or evidence that these supplements had ever been purchased, no replacements had been purchased and analysed.
The Tribunal noted there were also some potential discrepancies with the testimony of the Athlete’s wife. Ultimately, even after hearing both the Athlete and his wife, the Tribunal were not left feeling that this story was more likely true than not. As such, the Athlete has failed to satisfy his burden of proof to convince the Tribunal that the ingestion of these Prohibited Substances was not intentional.
The Tribunal finds that the anti-doping violation has been establish and that the Athlete could not establish how the prohibited substances entered his system. Therefore the National Anti-Doping Panel decides on 16 October 2017 to impose a 4 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 16 June 2017.
