• The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announced that Brazilian Kleber Da Silva Ramos, who competed in the Rio 2016 road race but didn’t finish, has reported an adverse analytical finding for CERA. Continuous erythropoietin receptor activator (CERA) is a generic term for drugs in a new class of third-generation erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs). Ramos tested positive in an out-of-competition test on 31 July.

• The Russian Ministry of Sports (MoS) has approved a change to the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) rules, which currently mean that athlete appeals against RUSADA decisions must be directly appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). ‘Changes have been made in Chapter 8 ‘Disciplinary Procedures’ and 13 ‘Appeal Rules’’, read a MoS statement.

• It is understood that the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has completed preliminary investigations into the cancellation of a 13 August match between Malawi Armed Forces College FC (MAFCO) and Nyasa Big Bullets. It was alleged that MAFCO players assaulted Big Bullets players on 12 August. It has been reported that the FAM found that Bullets players provoked MAFCO FC and exaggerated injuries in order to ensure that the game was cancelled and moved from Chitowe to Civo. It is understood that both teams have been fined.

• The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed that three athletes have been sanctioned for doping and have been excluded from the Rio 2016 Olympics: Tomasz Zielinski (weightlifting), Chen Xinyi (swimming) and Silvia Danekova (javelin). Last week, the Sports Integrity Initiative reported on Zielinski’s sanction, as well as Danekova and Xinyi’s sanction.