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11 June 2026
On 23 September 2024, the ITA, on behalf of the International Canoe Federation (ICF), notified the athlete that a sample collected from her during an out-of-competition anti-doping control conducted in Curitiba, Brazil, on 9 August 2024 had returned an adverse analytical finding¹ for the prohibited substance hydrochlorothiazide.
Hydrochlorothiazide is prohibited under the WADA Prohibited List as S5 ‘Diuretics and Masking Agents’. It is classified as a specified substance and is prohibited at all times, in-competition and out-of-competition.
Following the results management process conducted by the ITA on behalf of the ICF, the matter was submitted to CAS ADD for adjudication.
On 5 May 2026, following a hearing process during which the ITA represented the ICF, the Single Judge found that the athlete had committed an ADRV under Article 2.1 of the ICF anti‑doping rules for the presence of a prohibited substance. As a result, CAS ADD imposed a two‑year period of ineligibility on Mari Christina Santilli from 5 May 2026 to 4 May 2028. All competitive results obtained by the athlete on 9 August 2024 were disqualified.
The decision is subject to appeal before the Appeals Arbitration Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in accordance with article 13.2.3 of the ICF ADR.
The ITA will not comment further on this case.
¹ A report from a WADA-accredited laboratory that, consistent with the International Standard for Laboratories, establishes in a sample the presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers or evidence of the use of a prohibited method.
