In May 2019 the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Argentinian tennis player Franco Gabriel Agamenone after his A and B samples tested positive for the prohibited substance Hydrochlorothiazide. After notification the Athlete gave a prompt admission, waived his right to be heard, accepted a provisional suspension and the sanction proposed by the ITF.
The Athlete denied the intentional use of the substance and explained that he had used certain over-the-counter supplements and four prescribed Created Supplements. He argued that before using these Created Supplement he took necessary precautions to make sure that these supplements didn’t containe prohibited substances.
In support he produced a statement from his physician and photos of these Created Supplements he had used. He acknowledged that he didn’t mention his supplements on the Doping Control Form because the Doping Control Officer only asked him about the medicine that he was using and not supplements.
In the Montreal Lab both the opened and unopened bottles of the Created Supplements were analysed and they revealed the presence of Hydrochlorothiazide. The Lab confirmed that the levels of the prohibited substance detected in the Created Supplements were consistent with the concentrations found in the Athlete’s samples.
The ITF accepts that the Athlete’s violation was not intentional, that he demonstrated how the prohibited substance entered his system and considered that he gave a promp admission and established No Significant Fault or Negligence.
Therefore the ITF decides on 12 September 2019 to impose a 10 month period of ineligibility on the Athlete starting on the date of the sample collection, i.e. on 26 March 2019.
