The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has suspended Uzbekistani powerlifter Navruzbek Abdurasulov for four years for committing an anti-doping violation. The athlete who competed in the men’s up to 107kg class returned an adverse analytical finding for dehydrochloromethyl-testosterone metabolite 4α-chloro-17β-hydroxymethyl-17α-methyl-18-nor-5α-androst-13-en-3α-ol (DHCMT metabolite) in a urine sample provided on 15 April 2019 in an out of competition test in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

This substance is included on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2019 Prohibited List under the category S1.1A Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (exogenous). As a result of his violation, Abdurasulov will be ineligible for competition for four years from 15 April 2019 to 14 April 2023. All his results obtained from 15 April 2019 and onwards will be disqualified including forfeiture of any medals, points, records and prizes.

James Sclater, the IPC’s Anti-Doping Director, said: “As part of our increased investment in anti-doping activities, the IPC is conducting more targeted out of competition tests on athletes. Abdurasulov was part of the IPC’s Registered Testing Pool, a group of top-level athletes in specific Paralympic sports who take part in an out-of-competition testing programme.”

The IPC would like to remind all athletes the principle of strict liability applies to anti-doping matters and that any athletes who need to take a prohibited substance for medical reasons should seek a Therapeutic Use Exemption. Each athlete is strictly liable for the substances found in his or her sample, and that an anti-doping rule violation occurs whenever a prohibited substance (or its metabolites or markers) is found in his or her bodily specimen, whether or not the athlete intentionally or unintentionally used a prohibited substance or was negligent or otherwise at fault.

As a signatory of the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC), the IPC remains committed to a doping-free sporting environment at all levels. The IPC, together with the International Federations and the National Paralympic Committees, established the IPC Anti-Doping Code to prevent doping in sport for Paralympic athletes, in the spirit of fair play. The IPC Anti-Doping Code is in conformity with the general principles of the WADC.

• This media release was published by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) on 13 September 2019. Click here for the original.