Mr Lubomir Visnovsky is Slovakian Athlete competing in the Men’s Ice Hockey at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

On 25 February 2010 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Athlete after his sample tested positive for the prohibited substance pseudoephedrine. After notification the Athlete filed a statement in his defence en was heard for the IOC Disciplinary Commission.

The Athlete explained that the Specified Substance entered his body because he had recently been taking an over-the-counter cold medicine called “Advil Cold & Sinus.” The purpose in taking Advil Cold & Sinus was to treat illness, and not to enhance his sport performance. The Athlete indicated that he specifically chose the Advil brand because he was told by training staff from both his National Hockey League team and Slovakian National team that it did not contain a prohibited performance enhancing substance. Also the Athlete openly and honestly mentioned the use of “Advil Cold” on the Doping Control Form. Finally, the Athlete pointed to the fact that when he was tested around lunchtime on 26 February 2010, that his test came back negative.

The Disciplinary Commission unanimously concluded that the Athlete had committed an anti-doping rule violation pursuant to Article 2.1 of the Code and Articles 2 and 12 of the Rules, in that there was the presence of the prohibited substance in his body, pseudoephedrine.

The Commission considered that the Athlete had not intention to enhance sport performance and the fact that WADA did not include pseudoephedrine when they first published their List in 2004, and only recently introduced pseudoephedrine to the 2010 List of prohibited substances as a Specified Substance.

Therefore the IOC Disciplinary Commission decides that:
1.) the Athlete, Lubomir Visnovsky, Slovakia, Ice Hockey, committed an anti-doping rule violation pursuant to Article 2.1 of the World Anti-Doping Code and Articles 2 and 12 of the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the XXI Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, 2010;
2.) the Athlete is issued a reprimand;
3.) to recommend to the IOC Executive Board that it open a disciplinary procedure against Dr Dalimir Jancovic, the Slovak national team doctor;
4.) to forward this Decision to the International Ice Hockey Federation for any further action within its own competence, including with regard to Mr Ken Lowe, as it may deem appropriate; and
5.) this decision shall enter into force immediately.

Identification of the growth-hormone-releasing peptide-2 (GHRP-2) in a nutritional supplement / Andreas Thomas, Maxie Kohler, Joachim Mester, Hans Geyer, Wilhelm Schänzer, Michael Petrou, Mario Thevis

• Drug Testing and Analysis 2 (2010) 3 (March); p. 144-148
• PMID: 20878896
• DOI: 10.1002/dta.120

Abstract

Black market products of a pharmaceutical nature and nutritional supplements have received substantial and increasing attention because of potential performance enhancement in elite and non-professional sports. In addition, improved general health is claimed for non-competing individuals. The risks and foreseeable dangers of the uncontrolled use of highly potent and non-approved pharmaceutical compounds in healthy individuals are of considerable concern. In the present case report, the emerging drug candidate GHRP-2 with verified growth-hormone-releasing properties was identified and quantified in tablets offered as an over-the-counter nutritional supplement. The impact of this orally active peptide on the hGH/IGF-axis has been established for several years and its illicit use in elite sports has been assumed. As a releasing factor for hGH, GHRP-2 belongs to the list of substances prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Unfortunately, to date there is no routinely performed assay for the determination of these peptides potentially occurring in biological fluids of competing athletes, but the present data will facilitate the implementation by providing principle analytical information on liquid chromatographic and mass spectrometric behaviour. Qualitative identification of the target analyte after extraction from the tablet matrix was performed by high resolution/high accuracy mass spectrometry after liquid chromatographic separation under consideration of the accurate masses and the ratios of the protonated molecules and their fragment ions derived from their collisionally induced dissociation. Quantitative results were obtained by means of liquid chromatography coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer and linear regression using an external calibration curve (with GHRP-2 reference compound) adjusted via internal standard (Hexarelin). Hereby, the content of GHRP-2 was determined with approximately 50 µg per tablet.

Facts
The Doping Authority (DA) appealed against the decision, dated October 22, 2009, of the Disciplinary Committee of the Royal Dutch Gymnastics Federation (Koninklijke Nederlandse Gymnastiek Unie, KNGU). In this decision the athlete was awarded with a period of ineligibility of one year for the positive finding of cocaine after a doping test.

History
The DA does not object the sanction but appeals against the consideration of the Disciplinary Committee that cocaine is not a sport performance enhancing substance. In the view of the DA this is a wrong interpretation of the doping rules.
The procedure was held without a hearing, the appeal committee agrees with the fact that cocaine is on the prohibited list of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and it is not relevant if it enhances sport performance because it is prohibited. The decision will be adapted.

Decision
- The decision of the Disciplinary Committee of the KNGU, dated October 22, 2009, will be upheld with the adaptions.

Facts
The Dutch Taekwondo Union (Taekwondo Bond Nederland, TBN) reported a violation of the Anti-Doping rules. During a contest the athlete provided a sample for doping test purposes. His sample showed the presence of metabolites of sibutramine. Sibutramine is a prohibited substance according the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list of 2009 and is regarded as a specified substance.

History
The athlete was notified and put on voluntary suspension, the TBN was late in reporting the doing violation, it was not done within six weeks. Also the Anti-doping Authority Netherlands (Dopingautoriteit, DA) failed to remind the TBN of his duty.
The time to react is important for the athlete regarding the consequences for the positive result.
All this makes the case inadmissible in the view of the disciplinary committee, which is confirmed by the appeal committee.

Decision
- The athlete is acquitted.
- The voluntary suspension ends on the date of this decision.

In November 2009 the Agenţia Naţională Anti-Doping (ANAD), the National Anti-Doping Agency of Romania, has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Athlete Cristian Anghel after he refused to sign the invitation to provide a sample for drug testing. After notification the Athlete failed to attend the hearing of the Commission.
Therefore the ANAD Hearing Commission decides on 23 February 2010 to impose a 2 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the decision.

Related cases:
FIBA 2009 FIBA vs Grigoris Pantouris
August 4, 2009
FIBA 2010 FIBA vs Grigoris Pantouris
May 10, 2010

Mr. George Stouppas is the physiotherapist of the national team of Cyprus during the XIII Games of the Small States of Europe in June 2009 in Nicosia, Cyprus.
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has reported an anti-doping rule violation against Mr. Stouppas for assisting Grigoris Pantouris (the Player) in tampering with part of the doping control in order to cover up an anti-doping rule violation.

In June 2009 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Player after his sample tested positive for the prohibited substances mesterolone and metenolone. In August 2009 the FIBA Disciplinary Panel decided a period of 2 years ineligibility.
Hereafter the Player provided further information to the authorities about the source of the prohibited substance and the persons implicated. The Panel considered Player’s substantial assistance to the effort to eliminate doping in sport and decided to reduce the previous 2 years sanction and to impose a 6 month period of ineligibility.

On 22 January 2010 the Player testified for the FIBA Disciplinary Panel about Mr. George Stouppas’ role in tampering with the doping control. The Player stated that Mr. Stouppas advised him to falsely declare the use of the prohibited substance mesterolone on the Doping Control Form dated 5 June 2009.

Because of the Player’s additional substantial assistance the FIBA decided to suspend Player’s sanction for an additional 1 month and 15 days, so that he can play from the beginning in the 2010/2011 Cyprus championship.

The FIBA Disciplinary Panel decides a 1 year period of ineligibility to Mr. Stouppas, starting from the date of the FIBA hearing, i.e. on 22 January 2010.

An interview with UK Anti-Doping CEO Andy Parkinson and Christiaan Bartlett from Drug Control Centre King's College on the world's first growth hormone anti-doping rule violation.

UK Anti-Doping is responsible for protecting sport from the threat of doping in the UK. This involves planning, implementing and monitoring the UK’s anti-doping policy and implementing effective anti-doping programmes.

Facts
The UK Anti-Doping limited (UKAD) charged Terry Newton (Player) with an anti-doping rule violation. On 24 November 2009, a blood sample was collected from the player. The laboratory detected the presence in the sample of human Growth Hormone (‘hGH’) and determined (by applying the positivity criteria established by WADA) that the hGH was of exogenous origin. By letter dated 18 February 2010 from his lawyers, the player admitted the presence of exogenous human Growth Hormone in the blood sample. No B-sample analysis or hearing is requested.

Decision
1. The player has committed an anti-doping rule violation under Article 2.1 of the RFL’s 2009 Anti-Doping Rules, in that a Prohibited Substance – exogenous human Growth Hormone – has been found to be present in a blood sample collected from him on 24 November 2009.
2. Consequences: Disqualification of Individual Results
2.1 ADR Article 10.8 provides that all individual results obtained since the date of commission of an anti-doping rule violation should be disqualified unless fairness requires otherwise.
2.2 The player has not argued that fairness requires otherwise in this case. Therefore, all of the individual results that he has obtained since 24 November 2009 are hereby disqualified.
3. Consequences: Imposition of a Period of Ineligibility
3.1 This is the first anti-doping rule violation that the player has been found to have committed.
3.2 ADR Article 10.2 provides that the sanction for an ADR Article 2.1 anti-doping rule violation that is a first offence is a period of Ineligibility of two years. The Anti-Doping Rules include various provisions that might be relied upon to mitigate that sanction if certain specified conditions are satisfied (see ADR Article 10.5), but the player has confirmed through his lawyers that he does not seek to rely on any of those provisions in mitigation of his sanction but rather accepts the ADR Article 2.1 period of Ineligibility. Accordingly, a period of Ineligibility of two years is imposed on the player.
3.3 In accordance with ADR Article 10.9, that period of Ineligibility would usually run from today’s date. However, the player prompt admission of his offence upon receipt of the notice of charge triggers a discretion under ADR Article 10.9.2 to backdate the commencement of his period of Ineligibility to the date of sample collection, i.e., to 24 November 2009. That discretion is hereby exercised, so that his period of Ineligibility is deemed to have commenced on 24 November 2009, and therefore will end at midnight on 23 November 2011.
3.4 During this period of Ineligibility, the player’s status shall be as set out at Article 10.10 of the RFL’s 2009 Anti-Doping Rules, i.e., he remains subject to testing, but he is not entitled to play, coach or otherwise participate in any capacity in any event or competition or other activity (other than authorised anti-doping education or rehabilitation programmes) organised, convened, authorised or recognised by the RFL or by any body that is a member of, or affiliated to, or licensed by the RFL (including Wakefield RLFC). Furthermore, the RFL shall take all steps within its power to have such period of Ineligibility recognised and enforced by other relevant authorities.
4. Appeal and Publication
4.1 In accordance with ADR Article 7.5.4, a copy of this decision is being sent to the player, the RFL, the Rugby League International Federation, and WADA, each of whom has a right of appeal against this decision under ADR Article 13.
4.2 Also in accordance with ADR Article 7.5.4, this decision shall be published on UK Anti-Doping’s website.

Facts
The French Shooting Federation (Fédération Française de Tir, FFTir) charges respondent M42 for a violation of the Anti-Doping Rules. During a shooting contest, on November 28, 2009, a sample for doping test purposes was taken. The sample tested positive on hydrochlorothiazide and bisoprolol which is a prohibited substance on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list. Hydrochlorothiazide and bisoprolol are regarded as a specified substances.

History
The respondent used the prohibited to treat arterial hypertension and Ankylosing spondylitis (Bechterew's desease) he has certificates to prove his medication and his cardiology.

Decision
1. The respondents is acquitted.
2. The decision (two months of ineligibility), dated March 6, 2010, by the disciplinary committee of the FFTir should be modified.
3. The decision starts on the date of notification.
4. The decision will be published and sent to the parties involved.

Facts
The French Federation of Billiards (Fédération Française de Billard, FFB) charges respondent M15 for a violation of the Anti-Doping Rules. During a contest on July 5, 2009, a sample for a doping test was taken. The sample tested positive for atenolol. Atenolol is a prohibited substance according the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list.

History
The respondent used medication to treat high blood pressure and overweight. There was no intention to enhance sport performance.

Decision
1. The decision (a warning) dated October 10, 2010, of the disciplinary committee of the FFB should be modified.
2. The sanction is a period of ineligibility of one month in which the restpondent can take part in competition or manifestations organized by the FFB.
3. The decision starts on the date of notification.
4. The decision will be published and sent to the parties involved.