In September 2017 the United Kingdom Anti-Doping (UKAD) has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the rugby player Andrew Acton after his sample tested positive for the prohibited substance Stanozolol. The Athlete gave a prompt admission and without a hearing he accepted a provisional suspension and the sanction rendered by UKAD.
The Athlete admitted that he intentionally had injected himself the Product ‘testosuspensa’ containing ‘Testosterone suspension’ although he tested positive for Stanozolol, not Testosterone.
UKAD holds that the Athlete failed to establish how the prohibited substance entered his system because he could not provide UKAD a sample of the Product and as a result it could not be analysed to confirm it contained Stanozolol.
UKAD considers in this case the Athlete’s prompt admission and his apparent lack of anti-doping education since he commenced playing in the United Kingdom. WADA and UKAD agree that the Athlete should be afforded a reduction of the period of ineligibility based on his degree of fault.
Therefore UKAD decides on 19 January 2018 to impose a 3 year and 9 month period of ineligibility on the Athlete starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 8 September 2017.
