Doping suspension against Kostev
by Martin Merk|16 OCT 2018
share
The IIHF Disciplinary Board has suspended Russian ice hockey player Ion-Georgi Kostev for two years due to a doping violation. The 28-yaer-old defenceman with experience in the top-two Russian leagues KHL and VHL was most recently playing for Serbian club team Crvena Zvezda Belgrade.

The case concerns the use of a prohibited substance, 4-methylhexan-2-amin, according to section S6.b (specified substance) of the World Anti-Doping Code 2018 Prohibited List that was found in a doping control after a playoff game.

As the player’s contract in Serbia expired, the result management went from the Anti-Doping Agency in Serbia to the IIHF. The player didn’t require the analysis of his B-sample and accepted a provisional suspension that started on 18th May 2018.

In his answers to a questionnaire from the Disciplinary Board, the Player stated that he did some extra work in a local fitness centre one day before the game and bought “some pre-workout drinks from their fitness counter” but did not get any information or instruction on these products, which obviously contained the forbidden substance. He also wrote that he took the drink directly at the fitness centre and that he was not able to check the substance or the ingredients and did not see the package as the person from the fitness center did not show it to him. It turned out that the product contained DMAA (1,3 dimethylamylamine) which is a synonym for the prohibited substance methylhexaneamine.

The period of ineligibility to be imposed for the violation of Code Article 2.1 according to Code Article 10.2.1.2 therefore shall be two years because IIHF as the Anti-Doping Organization concerned has not established that the anti-doping rule violation was intentional. The Deciding Panel has not found any reasons which would allow the elimination or at least the reduction of the period of ineligibility of two years determined in Code Article 10.2.2. The player should have established that he took clear and obvious precautions which any person would take (Court of Arbitration for Sport – CAS – decision 2016/A/4416). His statements show that he obviously bought and consumed an unknown product without hesitation and without any precautions.

The period of ineligibility from the participation in all competitions and activities authorized and organized by IIHF or any IIHF Member National Association shall end on 17th May 2020. The decision may be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Click here for more information on Anti-Doping.