The ITA reports that it has asserted an ADRVs against Russian weightlifters Aslan Bideev (RUS) and Andrey Kozlov (RUS) under Article 2.1 (Presence of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers) and 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 Article 2.1 assertions are based on ITA’s re-analysis campaign on samples provided by the weightlifters during the 2012 IWF European Championships in Antalya, Turkey in April 2012. The samples had initially been reported as “negative” in 2012, but thanks to the improvements in the detection methods, the WADA-accredited laboratory of Cologne conducted further analysis in 2021 which revealed the presence of prohibited steroids.
The Article 2.2 assertions are based on investigations conducted by WADA’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 indicative of the presence of banned substances in samples provided by Aslan Bideev in 2012 and 2013 and Andrey Kozlov in 2012.
The athletes have been informed of the cases and have 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 cases is being handled entirely by the ITA. Given that the cases are underway, there will be no further comments during the ongoing proceeding.