In August 2022 the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) reported an anti-doping rule violation against the weightlifter Zachary Schober after his A and B samples tested positive for the prohibited substances Amfetamine, GW1516 and Methylphenidate.
Following notification a provisional suspension was ordered. The Athlete filed a statement in his defence and was heard for the American Court of Arbitration for Sport Panel (AAA).
During the proceedings the Athlete requested several time to reschedule the hearings whereas USADA established that the Athlete had breached the provisional suspension.
The Athlete asserted that he had used prescribed medication for his diagnosed ADHD without a valid TUE. He had applied for a retroactive TUE because he discovered that there was no record on file with USADA of his previous TUE application he made in February 2020.
The Athlete claimed that a contaminated supplement was the source of the substance GW1516. However analysis of two supplements in a laboratory revealed no prohibited substances while he was unable to produce the test results of other suspicious supplements.
The Sole Arbitrator finds that the presence of the prohibited substances has been established in the Athlete's samples and accordingly that he committed an anti-doping rule violation.
The Arbitrator determines that the Athlete failed to produce any evidence in his defence in order to receive a reduced sanction. Further the Arbitrator considers that the Athlete had violated his provisional suspension through his participation in two competitions in August and in October 2022.
Therefore the AAA Tribunal decides on 17 April 2023 to impose a 4 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of this decision.
