The second chamber of Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal (TNA) has partly accepted an appeal from Carlos Eduardo Barreto Silva against a two year ban issued in July. The volleyball player’s sanction has been reduced to 15 months, announced Italy’s national anti-doping agency (NADO Italia).

It is understood that Silva tested positive for clostebol after an 8 March volleyball match, but the TNA has accepted that his use was not intentional. The anabolic steroid is used in certain dermatological creams, one of which was the reason Norwegian skier Therese Johaug will miss the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics after applying such a cream to treat blistered lips.

The TNA has also provisionally suspended Lhoussaine Oukhrid, after he returned an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for recombinant erythropoietin (EPO), announced NADO Italia. The 33 year old runner tested positive at the Italian Marathon Championships in Agropoli on 15 October.