Two Bulgarian Sambo athletes have been provisionally suspended after returning an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for cocaine at in competition tests. Miroslav Debreliev (Мирослав Дебрелиев) and Georgi Gramatikov (Георги Граматиков), both of whom are judoka registered with the International Judo Federation (IJF), were tested on 13 March and AAFs for cocaine were confirmed on 12 May, the latest list of provisional suspensions published by the Bulgarian Anti-Doping Centre (BADC) confirms. Both also feature on the international Sambo federation’s list of provisionally suspended athletes (click here to download).

Under the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code, cocaine is considered a ‘substance of abuse’. It is possible to test positive for a ‘substance of abuse’ during competition, but to receive a reduced sanction if you can prove that use took place outside of competition. The Code’s definition of ‘in competition’ refers to when the substance was ingested, rather than whether the athlete was tested in competition. Ingestion ‘in competition’ refers to a substance taken in the period commencing at 11:59 the day before an event.

If an athlete can prove that ingestion occurred outside of competition and was unrelated to sporting performance, then a ban can be reduced to three months or one month, if the athlete completes a treatment programme. In March Deborah Georgieva (Дебора Георгиева), another sambo athlete, was provisionally suspended for an AAF involving amphetamine. Her name doesn’t feature on the BADC’s latest list of sanctioned athletes, published on 6 April, but her AAF was only confirmed on 16 March.