In November 2020 the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) of World Athletics has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Maroccan Athlete Youssef Sbaai after his samples after his sample tested positive for the prohibited substance Erythropoietin (EPO).
After notification a provisional suspension was ordered. The Sole Arbitrator of the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal rendered a decision based on the Parties’ written submissions.
The Athlete denied the intentional use of the substance and alleged that he was the victim of sabotage due the water bottle he had used during the competition in question contained EPO.
The AIU contended that the Athlete failed to demonstrate how EPO had entered his system and requested the Tribunal for the imposition of a sanction of 4 year. The AIU rejected the Athlete’s explanation and contended that the substance EPO only can enter the Athlete’s system through injection and not orally.
The Sole Arbitrator finds that the presence of the prohibited substance had been established in the Athlete’s sample and accordingly that he had committed an anti-doping rule violation.
The Sole Arbitrator holds that the Athlete failed to establish that the violation was not intentional, nor how the substance had entered his system. The Sole Arbitrator finds that the Athlete’s explanation are speculative and based on assumptions while there are no grounds for a reduced sanction.
Therefore the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal decides on 28 May 2021 to impose a 4 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 16 November 2020.
