In November 2020 the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Ukrainian-Polish tennis player Anastasiya Shoshyna after her A and B samples tested posititve for the prohibited substance Stanozolol.
After notification a provisional suspension was ordered. The Athlete filed a statement with evidence in her defence and she was heard for the ITF Independent Tribunal.
The Athlete accepted the test results, denied the intentional use of the substance and investigated the possible source of Stanozolol. Yet analysis of her supplements in three laboratories revealed no prohibited substances, neither was meat contamination established.
Hereafter - supported by expert witnesses - the Athlete asserted that she tested positive due to contamination. She alleged that at the material time she had direct contact / sexual relationship with a Person who used Stanozolol orally as part of his pre-training.
In addition the Athlete filed a hairtest in her defence to demonstrate that she had not used Stanozolol. She requested for non disclosure of the decision and asserted that there were grounds for a reduced sanction.
IFT contended that the Athlete failed to demonstrate that the violation was not intentional, nor grounds for a reduced sanction. ITF rejected the Athlete's intimate contact hypothesis and the Person's alleged use of Stanozolol due to lack of substantial evidence in this matter.
The Panel assessed the Athlete's assertions and evidence about the intimate contact hypothesis, her relationship and the Person's use of Stanozolol. In this matter the Panel deems that there is no contemporaneous evidence, there are inconsistencies in the evidence and lack of plausable explantions.
As a result the Tribunal concludes that it is not satisfied that it was more likely than not that Stanozolol was transmitted through intimate contact between the Athlete and the Person. The Panel also did not accept the Athlete's hair test as corroborating evidence that she didn't act intentionally.
Finally the Panel considers that there had been delays in this case not attributed to the Athlete and determines that there are no grounds to prevent public disclosure of the decision.
Therefore the ITF Independent Tribunal decides on 17 June 2022 to impose a 4 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the sample collection, i.e. on 26 October 2020.
