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
Olga Zabelinskaya’s nationality change from Russian to Uzbek will make her ineligible for the World Championships in 2018 and 2019, the International Cycling Union (UCI) has confirmed. Zabelinskaya had expressed concern that her Russian nationality might affect her ability to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. However under UCI...
Paola Pliego has instructed lawyers to file a lawsuit against the Mexican fencing federation (FME) and Mexico’s national commission for physical culture and sport (CONADE) seeking damages, after a false positive cost her a place at the Rio 2016 Olympics. “I have received no apology from any Mexican sporting...
Michigan State University (MSU) has reportedly lodged a court filing requesting a stay of all future lawsuits related to Dr. Larry Nassar, who was sentenced to between 40 and 175 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of sexual misconduct in January. It is understood that over 50...
Ukraine’s police are investigating allegations that a solidarity payment made as part of Andriy Yarmolenko’s August 2017 transfer from Dynamo Kiev to Borussia Dortmund may not have arrived at its intended location. It is understood that the money arrived in the accounts of an unknown organisation with a similar...
• Els Van Hoof, an MP with Belgium’s Christian democrat party (CD&V), has introduced a Bill that if passed, would ban regulated gambling operators from offering odds on youth sports competitions. “Youth competitions usually take place far away from the cameras”, said Van Hoof in a statement. “Because they...
• The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has removed Karim Ibrahim, President of the Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF), as a member of the IAAF Council. An IAAF Vetting Panel found him not eligible – within the meaning of the IAAF Constitution and IAAF Vetting Rules – to hold...
• The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) has announced that it has reduced a sanction issued to cross country skier Polina Kovaleva (Полину Ковалеву) from four to two years. The reasoning behind the decision, which means that Kovaleva would be eligible for qualification to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, was...
The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has amended its anti-doping rules after finding that hay contaminated with the Autumn Crocus plant can cause horses to report adverse analytical findings (AAF) for Demecolcine. On 22 June, two athletes were able to prove to the FEI that AAFs for Demecolcine were caused...
The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) has defended its 2018 Code of Ethics, after it was criticised for removing the word ‘corruption’; introducing a Statute of Limitations; and introducing a Defamation Clause. The 2018 Code of Ethics came into force on 12 August, after being approved by the...
The Commonwealth Boxing Council (CBC) has refuted claims made by Liam Cameron suggesting that corruption played a part in its decision to strip him of his commonwealth middleweight title. Cameron returned an adverse analytical finding (AAF) on 27 April, when he fought Nicky Jenman. It was initially scheduled as...
Amateur rugby union player Dean Ashfield has been sanctioned with a four year ban, after a hearing Panel did not accept his argument that an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for three substances was due to an injection from a sports therapist. Ashfield tested positive for drostanolone, 17-epitrenbolone (a metabolite...
• The Irish government is considering the establishment of an independent anti-doping agency within the next two years, it announced within its National Sports Policy 2018-2027. ‘Ireland sees an emerging requirement for the anti-doping system to be seen as independent of the system that supports and funds the achievement of...
Martin Grab, a Swiss cultural icon in the traditional wrestling discipline of Schwigen, is facing a potential four year ban after testing positive for a drug used to combat breast cancer. Analysis of his B sample is consistent with analysis of his A sample, and has confirmed an adverse...
Cycling Australia has issued a four year ban to Michael Fitzgerald for use of 14 prohibited substances and methods in a period ranging over five years, a sanction published by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) has revealed. The 14 Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs), which took place ‘on or...
The Havana, Paris, Doha and Madrid Laboratories replaced Mexico, Almaty, Warsaw and Stockholm as those that reported the most adverse analytical findings (AAFs) as a percentage of samples collected from athletes during 2017. Mexico did top the table for the second year, but it collected just 203 samples during...
