A total of 36 athletes competing in 17 sports, from 13 countries, were involved in anti-doping proceedings that came to light during the week ending 30 September 2022. Cases involved two Kenyan distance runners receiving one year reductions to four year bans after admitting anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs) for the same substance; five European Arm Wrestling Championship competitors provisionally suspended after adverse analytical findings (AAFs – or ‘positive tests’); and 12 year bans issued to a Ukrainian canoeist and an Italian runner.

Felix Kipchumba provided an out of competition (OOC) urine sample in Kapsabet on 17 August 2022. A day later, Emmanuel Saina provided an OOC sample in Eldoret, 40 kilometres away. Both Kenyan distance runners reported AAFs for Norandrosterone, and both admitted the ADRV within 20 days and agreed to accept any sanction.

Under Article 10.8.1 of the World Anti-Doping Code, this allows both athletes to receive a one year reduction to the standard four year ban. It also allows the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) of World Athletics to close its case against both athletes without the need for a hearing. 

The Eldoret/Kapsabet region, at 2,100 metres above sea level, is the gateway to high-altitude training. It is also an area that has been plagued by doping allegations for over a decade. With both cases closed and no hearing, is it possible to ascertain who supplied the two Kenyans with Norandrosterone? 

The European Arm Wrestling Championships took place in Bucharest, in April. The World Armwrestling Federation (WAF) announced that five athletes had been provisionally suspended due to AAFs either recorded at the event, or due to OOC tests. 

The five are not small names. Ukraine’s Bohdan Lekhman finished first in the Master Men 100kg right arm contest; Finland’s Jami Koho finished first in the Grand Master Men’s 80kg right arm contest; Serbia’s Ivan Veselić finished second in the 110kg left hand contest; Turkey’s Veysel De Mirkol finished second in the Grand Master Men’s 100kg left and right arm contests; and Armenia’s Arsen Khachatryan finished second in the Senior Men 90kg right hand contest.

Twelve year bans are unusual in anti-doping. Even more unusual is to come across two twelve year bans in the same week. 

Alessandro Braconi, an Italian distance runner, was sanctioned with a 12 year ban for use/attempted use; possession; and trafficking/attempted trafficking of a prohibited substance, following his provisional suspension in March. Doping is a criminal offence in Italy so unlike the two Kenyans, he had to explain his actions and the authorities are obliged to investigate.

In 2020, Ukrainian canoeist Oleksandr Senkevych was sanctioned with a four year ban ending on 22 October 2023. That ban has now been extended to 22 October 2031, according to a list of sanctions updated by the Ukrainian anti-doping agency (NADCU) on 19 September. It appears that the sanction was extended due to an additional charge of tampering with a doping control.

Please continue to send any cases we may have missed or suggestions through to our 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

Anania Voskanyan (ARMADO Statement);

Shivpal Singh, Ashutosh Mehta, Mr. Vinay, Ms. Poonam, Ms. Renu (NADA India Sanction List);

Victoria Yaroshenko, Viktor Goliney (NADC List of Provisional Suspensions);

Ivan Veselić, Khachatryan Arsen, Jami Koho, Veysel Demirkol, Bohdan Lehman (WAF Statement, ADAS Statement, NADC List of Provisional Suspensions);

Oleksandr Senkevych, Alena Serdyuk, Yury Chikyda (NADC List of Sanctioned Athletes, ICF Statement);

Joshua Bringas (USADA Statement);

Felix Kipchumba Korir (AIU List of First Instance Decisions, Full Decision);

Emmanuel Saina (AIU List of First Instance Decisions, Full Decision);

Martin Batur (ONE Championship Statement);

Onofrio Monzillo (NADO Italia Statement, news on Provisional Suspension);

Amsellek Nesim (NADO Italia Statement);

Giulio Formosa (NADO Italia Statement, news on Provisional Suspension);

Mario Lo Re (NADO Italia Statement);

Alessandro Braconi (NADO Italia Statement, news on Provisional Suspension);

Ekaterina Chugunkova (NADO Italia Statement, FIS Statement, news on Provisional Suspension);

Egor Selivanov (RUSADA Statement);

Aykhana Antonova (RUSADA Statement);

Olga Orlova (RUSADA Statement);

Sofya Zhivica (RUSADA Statement);

Audrey Sawers (CCES Statement, Full Decision);

Luc Caines (UKAD Statement, Full Decision);

Jacopo Cortese (NADO Italia Statement);

Giulio Perpetuo (NADO Italia Statement);

Andrea D’Oria (NADO Italia Statement);

Giovanni Battista Vendemia (NADO Italia Statement)