In September 2017 United World Wrestling (UWW) has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Russian Athlete Aleksandr Chekhirkin after his A and B samples tested positive for the prohibited substance Triamcinolone. After notification a provisional suspension was ordered and the Athlete filed a statement with medical evidence in his defence.
At the same time the Paris Lab was provionally suspended by WADA for technical reasons. The Athlete’s samples were transferred to the Rome Lab in order to reanalyse the A sample, to analyse his B sample and to provide the Athlete the sample documentation package.
The Athlete explained in his submissions that the positive result was due to an out-of-competition injection of triamcinolone for his articular pain. His last treatment on his left knee was dated 14 August 2017, seven days before the test that resulted in the adverse analytical finding. The Athlete provided a certificate of medical consultation with his defence statement.
Although the injection of glucocorticoids was intra-articular and thus permitted according to the Prohibited List, the Athlete asserted the injection might have reached a muscle or tendon tissues, resulting in the substance being found in urine in small quantities. The Athlete based this assertion on a report prepared by an external analytical chemist who analysed the metabolism of triamcinolone acetonide in a human body and the influence of different factors on excretion.
The UWW Anti-Doping Panel finds that the Athlete’s explanation and evidence is plausible and meet the burden of proof to establish how the prohibited substance entered his system. The Panel considers the circumstances in this case and holds that the Athlete’s degree of fault is light with grounds for a reduced sanction.
Therefore the UWW Anti-Doping Panel decides on 27 February 2018 to impose a 4 month period of ineligibility on the Athlete starting on 29 September 2017.
