Sixteen athletes from seven countries, competing in nine sports, were involved in anti-doping proceedings that came to light during the week ending 10 March. Cases involved sanctions issued to five Jiu Jitsu athletes following tests at the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) World No-Gi Championship; two tennis players who were successful in reducing sanctions after successful appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS); and a third sanction issued to a Rugby League player for what appears to be an ongoing cocaine abuse problem.

The International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) is not a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code, but contracted the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to conduct testing in relation to the tournament. Four athletes tested positive for similar substances (exogenous Testosterone, 19-Norandosterone, and Drostanolone), and one athlete was sanctioned for refusing a test.

Mariano Tammaro was initially sanctioned with a two year ban after a Sport Resolutions Tribunal accepted that the 18 year old’s adverse analytical finding (AAF – or ‘positive test’) for Clostebol was caused by Trofodermin spray applied to treat an injury. Following a successful appeal to the CAS, his ban was reduced to 15 months and ended on 30 February this year, rather than on 30 November. 

Stéphane Houdet wasn’t quite as successful but by reducing his ban by a month, the three time Paralympic Gold medalist is eligible to compete again. The 52 year old was initially sanctioned with a 15 month ban for three missed tests which expired on 27 March 2023. Following a 38 page assessment of whether he was at fault for not updating his whereabouts while at a ranger station in Costa Rica and whether he was able to hear his flat’s intercom, the CAS reduced his ban to 14 months, ending on 2 March.

A three month sanction issued to Rochdale Hornets player Rangi Chase called into question the effectiveness of treatment policies for athletes using recreational drugs. The New Zealand Maori Rugby League player was initially sanctioned with a two year ban in 2017, following an AAF for Cocaine while playing for Widnes Vikings.

In February last year, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) sanctioned Chase with a further one month ban following a second AAF for Cocaine. That sanction was reduced from three months after Chase became the first UK-based athlete to complete a five day residential substance of abuse programme. 

Please continue to send any cases we may have missed or suggestions through to the editor by clicking here. Also, if you’re an athlete, national anti-doping organisation (NADO) or other Results Management Authority and you’d like us to cover a case that you’re involved with, please get in touch! Also – a reminder. The SII Anti-Doping Monitor only features confirmed AAFs (‘positive tests’) or confirmed anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs).

Decision links

Dinos Mitoglou (FIBA List of sanctioned athletes);

Yoahnn Marin (AFLD Decision);

Maxime Péault (AFLD Decision);

Seyed Mojtaba Shojaei (Iran NADO Statement);

Abolfazl Jumapour (Iran NADO Statement);

Taleb Arabpour (Iran NADO Statement);

Vadim Vrublevsky (RusAF Statement);

Rangi Chase (UKAD Statement – previous UKAD Statements have been deleted from UKAD’s site);

Kirill Nedosekov (RusAF Statement);

Mariano Tammaro (ITF Statement on CAS appeal, CAS Decision; original ITF Statement, original Sport Resolutions Decision);

Stephane Houdet (ITF Statement on CAS appeal, CAS Decision; original ITF Statement, original Sport Resolutions Decision);

Igor Nascimento da Costa Feliz, Jonnatas Gracie Araujo da Silva, Roberto de Abreu Filho, José Henrique Cardoso, Vagner S. Rocha (USADA Statement)