Related cases:
- CAS 2019_A_6319 Maria Guadalupe Gonzalez Romero vs IAAF
July 2, 2020 - World Athletics 2020 WA vs Maria Guadalupe González Romero
July 30, 2021 - CAS 2021_A_8311 María Guadalupe González Romero vs IAAF
December 29, 2023
In November 2018 the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Mexican Athlete María Guadalupe González Romero after her A and B samples tested positive for the prohibited substance Trenbolone. After notification a provisional suspension was ordered. The Athlete filed a statement in her defence and she was heard for the IAAF Disciplinary Tribunal.
The Athlete denied the intentional use of the substance and requested for a reduced sanction. The Athlete stated that she was diagnosed with ferropenic anaemia and was advised by her doctor to increase her consumption of green vegetables and meat. At the time of the sample collection she had ordered beef liver, beefsteak, tacos, picanha in two Mexican restarants to increase the ingestion of meat to overcome the anaemia.
She clamed that in Mexico the administration of Trenbolone to cattle is permitted and that Mexican authorities allow certain limits of Trenbolone residues in meat, but there are not many studies involving Trenbolone.
The IAAF contends that the risk of meat contaminated with Clenbuterol in countries such as Mexico is widely acknowledged and, in circumstances where an athlete is able to demonstrate that they have been in a country where Clenbuterol meat contamination is demonstrably high, and that they ingested quantities of meat in that country, WADA accepts that disciplinary proceedings against athletes with low levels of urinary concentrations of Clenbuterol would have little to no prospect of success. However, the same cannot be said for matters involving Trenbolone, and thus the Athlete had the burden of providing actual evidence that it is more likely than not that the ingested meat was contaminated with Trenbolone.
The IAAF argued that the Athlete’s evidence regarding Trenbolone used legitimately in meat production in Mexico is not sufficient on the balance of probability. Also IAAF investigations showed that some documents in support of the Athlete’s explanations had been forged and that her explanations were moulded around those forged documents (i.e. consultations in hospitals and visits to restaurants).
The Sole Arbitrator holds that the explanation together with the evidence produced by the Athlete is not convincing and not reliable. The Athlete provided contradicting versions of events during the proceedings, which are themselves contradicted by the evidence provided, some of which was fabricated. This leads the Sole Arbitrator to reject the Athlete’s explanation for lack of credibility. Consequently the Athlete failed to establish that her violation was not intentional.
Therefore the IAAF Disciplinary Tribunal decides on 9 May 2019 to impose a 4 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 16 November 2018.
