The ITA reports that it has asserted an ADRV against Russian weightlifter Kseniya Kozina under Article 2.2 (Use or Attempted Use by an Athlete of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method) of the IWF Anti-Doping Rules (IWF ADR). The assertion is based on investigations conducted by the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Intelligence and Investigation Department (WADA I&I) and by Professor Richard McLaren into allegations of systemic doping practices in Russian sport as well as Moscow Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) data retrieved by WADA I&I over time.

The evidence was provided by WADA I&I to the ITA in 2021 for further assessment. In particular, these investigations uncovered LIMS data as well as underlying analytical data pertaining to a sample provided by Kseniya Kozina in 2014 which contained the prohibited anabolic agent Ostarine.

The athlete has been informed of the case and has been provisionally suspended until the resolution of the matter. Pursuant to the IWF’s delegation of its anti-doping program to the ITA, the prosecution of the case is being handled entirely by the ITA. Given that the case is underway, there will be no further comments during the ongoing proceeding.

• This media release was published by the International Testing Agency (ITA) on 29 November 2021. Click here for the original.