Andy has been writing about the governance of sport for over 15 years. Prior to working on the Sports Integrity Initiative, he was the editor of World Sports Law Report for eight years. He has also worked for the Press Association and has written for numerous trade magazines. He has also created, chaired and spoken at numerous conferences on the business of sport, and produced the Sports Law Show for iSportConnect TV.
All posts by Andy Brown
The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) has indicated that it cannot compete with the likes of the USA and Germany in terms of pharmacological preparation for elite sport. “Doping is a professional pharmacological activity”, said Yuri Ganus, RUSADA’s Director General, at a media conference announcing the organisation’s 2018 Annual Report,...
• Federal prosecutors have charged Michael Avenatti with extortion of Nike, charges that the US lawyer denies. In the lawsuit (PDF below), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) alleges that Avenatti threatened to release damaging information about the sportswear manufacturer unless it paid him US$1.5 million. I want to thank...
Innsbruck prosecutors have charged the police officer responsible for leaking a video of the arrest of Max Hauke during the doping raid at the Nordic Skiing World Championships in Seefeld earlier this year, reports the Tiroler Tageszeitung. ‘The police officer from Eastern Austria, who had a supporting role in...
• The Serbian Association of Bodybuilding, Fitness, Body Fitness and Aerobics has sanctioned Aleksandr Zivkovic and Ivana Milic with four year bans, after they returned adverse analytical findings (AAFs) at the National Championships in Aranđelovac on 20 October last year. Zivkovic tested positive for andarine, clenbuterol, furosemide, LGD-4033 and...
Three Russian athletes and a boxer have been sanctioned with doping bans ranging from two to four years. The Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) announced that Aleksandr Ivanov (Александр Иванов) has been sanctioned with a three year ban from 2 May 2017 due to ‘variations in the blood passport’. Ivanov’s...
Caster Semenya will be able to compete in the Doha 2019 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships even if she loses her Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) case against its Differences of Sex Development Regulations, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) confirmed today. A delay to...
Munich’s State Prosecutor told a press conference that 21 athletes from eight nations across five sports have been implicated in an international blood doping ring, reports Reuters. Five athletes and four others were initially arrested after police in Austria and Germany uncovered a blood doping ring, following an interview...
Two cases involving cocaine taken outside of competition are set to put planned changes to the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code regarding ‘substances of abuse’ under further scrutiny. Today, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) confirmed that Josh Yorwerth has been issued with a four year ban for refusing an out of competition...
• The Swiss Olympic Association (SOV) has reduced doping bans issued to two athletes. Anti-doping Switzerland announced that an ‘ambitious young cyclist’ who had taken steroids and breached a ban on competing was initially issued with a five year ban, however this was reduced by two years under the...
Brazilian swimmer Henrique Martins de Souza has been sanctioned with a one year ban by the international swimming federation (FINA), despite proving that an a adverse analytical finding (AAF) for ostarine was the result of a contaminated amino acid intravenous infusion administered by a sports doctor. De Souza was...
The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) has discovered that a private company tipped off Russian powerlifters about when they would be tested in return for cash. The company involved, ‘Anti-Doping Initiative’ (Антидопинговая инициатива), concluded an agreement with the Russian Powerlifting Federation (FPR) to carry out all doping tests in Russian...
A decision in which an athlete was able to prove that his adverse analytical finding (AAF) was caused by supplement contamination has not been publicised by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD)*, highlighting the problems faced by athletes in finding supporting case law when charged with an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV). Christopher...
The Austrian anti-doping commission (ÖADR) has provisionally suspended cross country skier Johannes Dürr, as part of ongoing investigations into doping in Austria and Germany. In January, Dürr admitted that he had used blood transfusions, erythropoietin (EPO) and growth hormones in an interview with reporters (video below), broadcast by Sportschau...
Seven athletes have been provisionally suspended after reporting adverse analytical findings (AAF) during competition, the National Doping Agency of India (NADA India) announced in its March newsletter (PDF below). The seven included two weightlifting minors, and two U21 freestyle wrestlers, who were suspended at the Khelo India Youth Games...
The global athlete movement for recognition on sport’s governing bodies is gathering momentum. This was highlighted at the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) 15th Symposium, which took place from 13-14 March in Lausanne and involved a closed session for athletes to voice and formulate their concerns. For the second time...
