In August 2021 the Athletics Integrity Unit on behalf of World Athletics has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Ethiopian AthleteTaye Girma Arit after his samples - collected in April and in June 2021 - tested positive for the prohibited substance Recombinant Erythropoietin (rhEPO).
After notificattion a provisional suspension was ordered. After delays and extentions the Athlete filed a statement in his defence and there was a hearing for the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal.
The Athlete admitted the violation and denied the intentional use of the substance. He could not explain how the substance had entered his system and acknowledged that he was unable to dispute the accuracy of the test result. Neither could he demonstrate that there were grounds for No Significant Fault or Negligence.
The AIU contended that the Athlete intentionally had used rhEPO through two separate administrations and that there were grounds for aggravating circumstances. The Athlete only made protestations of innocence whereas he failed to challenge the evidence, nor demonstrated the source of the rhEPO.
The Panel agrees that the Athlete failed to establish with any corroborating evidence that the violation was not intentional, nor how the substance had entered his system. The Panel deems that there were aggravating circumstances in this case due to the Athlete deliberately has used rhEPO at least through two separate administrations.
Therefore the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal decides on 15 August 2022 to impose a 5 year and 4 month period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 3 August 2021.
