Chile's Matias Pino loses Parapan American Games medals for anti-doping violation

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has stripped Chilean Para Table Tennis player Matias Pino of his medals from the 2019 Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru, after he committed an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV).

As the organisers of the 2019 Parapan American Games, the IPC was responsible for determining whether an ADRV had occurred with an athlete failing a doping control test. Following the completion of an IPC Hearing Panel, the IPC concluded that Pino had committed an ADRV. The IPC will now, in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC), refer the matter to the International Table Tennis Federation for them to determine the sanction for the athlete.

The athlete returned an adverse analytical finding for a prohibited substance in a urine sample provided on 24 August 2019 after competing at the 2019 Parapan American Games. The substance was octopamine, which is included on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2019 Prohibited List under the class S6 Stimulants.

As a result of his violation, the Athlete’s individual results obtained at the 2019 Parapan American Games are subject to disqualification, with all resulting consequences including forfeiture of any medals, points or prizes. This includes the Men’s Singles Class 6 where the athlete won a gold medal.

As a result of his disqualification from the Men’s Singles Class 6 competition at the 2019 Parapan American Games, USA’s Ian Seidenfeld, the original silver medallist, will now be awarded the gold medal.

Pino was also part of a team that participated in 2019 Parapan American Games. That team’s results are also subject to disqualification, with all resulting consequences for the team and its members, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes. The Chilean team won bronze in the Men’s Team Class 6-8, but this result is now disqualified.

Each athlete is strictly liable for the substances found in his or her sample. An ADRV 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 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 (ADC) to prevent doping in sport for Paralympic athletes, in the spirit of fair play. The IPC ADC is in conformity with the general principles of the WADC.