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20 August 2026
As previously reported by the ITA, the ITA charged Yoana Georgieva with anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs) under Article 2.3 (evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection) and Article 2.5 (tampering with any part of doping control) for her conduct during a doping control mission on 15 December 2023 in Kărdžali, Bulgaria.
Following the results management process conducted by the ITA, the ITA submitted the matter for adjudication to the Court of Arbitration for Sport Anti-Doping Division (CAS ADD), and requested CAS ADD to impose a six-year period of ineligibility and the disqualification of competitive results. On 15 July 2024, CAS ADD concluded that Yoana Georgieva had not committed any ADRV and hence no period of ineligibility was imposed. The athlete was also eligible to compete with immediate effect.
The ITA on behalf of Paddle Worldwide (formerly known as the International Canoe Federation (ICF)) as well as WADA appealed the CAS ADD decision to CAS.
A hearing took place on 31 March and 1 April 2026 in which the ITA represented Paddle Worldwide. After hearing the parties and considering the written submissions and evidence, on 3 August 2026, CAS set aside the CAS ADD decision and confirmed that Yoana Georgieva had committed ADRVs for evading sample collection on 15 December 2023 contrary to Article 2.3 of the ICF Anti-Doping Rules (ICF ADR) and tampering with doping control (in particular, knowingly allowing others to falsely represent that another athlete was notified and procuring false testimony from witnesses) contrary to Article 2.5 of the ICF ADR.
As a result, CAS imposed a period of ineligibility of six years (which was increased on the basis of aggravating circumstances)1 from 3 August 2026 onwards2 and disqualified all the results obtained by the athlete from 15 December 2023 onwards.
The ITA will not comment further on this matter. Any information pertaining to potential anti-doping rule violations can be shared with the ITA via its confidential reporting platform REVEAL.
1 As per article 10.4 of the ICF ADR, if aggravating circumstances are present which justify the imposition of a period of ineligibility greater than the standard sanction, the period of ineligibility otherwise applicable shall be increased by an additional period of ineligibility of up to two years depending on the seriousness of the violation and the nature of the aggravating circumstances. The circumstances and actions that qualify as aggravating circumstances include, but are not limited to, circumstances where the athlete committed multiple other anti-doping rule violations or the athlete engaged in deceptive or obstructive conduct to avoid the detection or adjudication of an anti-doping rule violation.
2 Considering that the athlete was provisionally suspended from 10 June 2024 to 15 July 2024, this period of provisional suspension served is to be deducted from the six-year period of ineligibility.
