Para-snowboarder Shea commits Anti-Doping Rule Violation

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced that the American para-snowboard athlete Mike Shea has served a one month suspension for an Anti-Doping Rule Violation committed in March.

Shea returned an adverse analytical finding for Buprenorphine in a urine sample provided on 6 March 2013 at an IPC Alpine Skiing sanctioned competition in Sochi, Russia.

This substance is included on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2013 Prohibited List under the category S7. Narcotics and is considered a “specified substance”. Consequently it is prohibited under the IPC Anti-Doping Code.

Shea exercised his right to a hearing during which he provided corroborating evidence to explain how the substance had entered his body. The IPC panel who heard Shea’s case was satisfied that he did not take the substance to enhance his performance or mask the use of a performance enhancing substance.

In accordance with the IPC Anti-Doping Code a suspension of one month and no financial sanction was imposed on Shea. All his results obtained at the competition in Sochi will be disqualified with all the resulting consequences including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes.

The principle of strict liability applies to anti-doping matters. Therefore, each athlete is strictly liable for the substances found in his or her sample. An anti-doping rule violation occurs whenever a prohibited substance (or its metabolites or markers) is found in his or her bodily specimen, whether or not the athlete intentionally or unintentionally used a prohibited substance or was negligent or otherwise at fault.

As a signatory of the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC), the IPC remains committed to a doping free sporting environment at all levels. The IPC, together with the International Federations and the National Paralympic Committees, established the IPC Anti-Doping Code to prevent doping in sport for Paralympic athletes, in the spirit of fair play. The IPC Anti-Doping Code is in conformity with the general principles of the WADC.