Olympic Games Rio 2016 re-analysis – The ITA notifies seven athletes of potential anti-doping rule violations

Following the launch of the sample re-analysis program for the Olympic Games Rio 2016, the ITA reports that the re-analysis of the 2016 samples provided by the following athletes have returned adverse analytical findings (AAF):

• Esraa Elsayed Rashed Elsayed Ahmed, Egyptian weightlifter, provided a sample on 6 August 2016 which, after re-analysis, returned an AAF for methandienone (danabol) metabolite. The athlete participated in the women -63 kg weightlifting event at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and finished 7^th.
• Rafael Augusto Buzacarini, Brazilian judoka, provided a sample on 9 August 2016 which, after re-analysis, returned an AAF for dehydrochlormethyltestosterone metabolite. The athlete participated in the men -100 kg judo event and finished 9^th.
• Soslan Daurov, Belarussian wrestler, provided a sample on 12 August 2016 which, after re-analysis, returned an AAF for dehydrochlormethyltestosterone metabolite. The athlete participated in the men -59 kg greco-romain wrestling event and placed 15^th.
• Aurimas Didzbalis, Lithuanian weightlifter, provided a sample on 13 August 2016 which, after re-analysis, returned an AAF for methandienone (danabol) metabolite. The athlete participated in the men -94 kg weightlifting event at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and obtained the bronze medal.
• Ivan Efremov, Uzbek weightlifter, provided a sample on 7 August 2016 which, after re-analysis, returned an AAF for methandienone (danabol) metabolite. The athlete participated in the men’s +105 kg weightlifting event at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and obtained the 5^th.
  
• Ivet Lalova-Collio, Bulgarian track and field athlete, provided a sample on 17 August 2016 which, after re-analysis, returned an AAF for ostarine glucuronide. The athlete participated in the women sprint 200 meters event and finished 8^th.
• Ahmed Saad, Egyptian weightlifter, provided a sample on 8 August 2016 which, after re-analysis, returned an AAF for methandienone (danabol) metabolite. The athlete participated in the Men’s -62 kg weightlifting event at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and finished 5^th.

All AAFs listed above are based on the presence of anabolic steroids in the athletes’ samples, which were prohibited under the 2016 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List and continue to be prohibited today. The samples were first analysed during the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and were reported as negative with the detection methods applied by the WADA-accredited laboratory available at the time. The majority of these positive re-analysis results are mainly due to technical advances, including the development of new detection methods and improvements in analytical sensitivity for the detection of new steroid metabolites, which were not available at the time of the initial analysis. The re-analysis of the samples was conducted by the WADA-accredited laboratories of Lausanne, Switzerland, and Cologne, Germany.

The athletes have been informed of their respective cases. They each have the right to request the analysis of their B-sample. If the B-sample analysis is requested and confirms the result of the A-sample, or if the B-sample analysis is not requested, the cases will proceed as a confirmed anti-doping rule violation. The athletes have the opportunity to present explanations for the positive results. The athletes will also be provisionally suspended by their respective international federation pending the results management proceedings of their cases in accordance with the respective anti-doping regulations.

The matter will thereafter be referred by the ITA to the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS ADD) for adjudication under the IOC Anti-Doping Rules.

Given that the cases are underway, there will be no further comments during the ongoing proceedings.

These new positive cases bring the re-analysis program for the Olympic Games Rio 2016 to near completion, with a total of ten AAFs.  This outcome is a reminder that anti-doping sciences are continuously improving and that athletes who choose to seek unfair advantage through doping should never feel safe. Long-term storage of samples and their re-analysis whenever new or improved detection methods are available widen the net to undercover anti-doping rule violations. These tools are additional safeguards for clean sport and are deployed at each edition of the Olympic Games.