Egyptian powerlifter suspended for 20 months for anti-doping violation

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has suspended Egyptian powerlifter Rehab Abougharbya for 20 months for committing an anti-doping violation.

Abougharbya returned an adverse analytical finding for oxandrolone in a urine sample provided on 6 May 2017 after competing in the World Para Powerfliting World Cup in Eger, Hungary.

This substance is included on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2017 Prohibited List under the category S1.1A Exogenous Anabolic Androgenic Steroids and is prohibited at all times, both in and out of competition.

As a result of her violation, Abougharbya – who competes in the women’s up to 73kg class - will be ineligible for competition for 20 months from 12 June 2017, the date of the provisional suspension, until 6 February 2019.

All Abougharbya’s results obtained from the date of the test and onwards will be disqualified including forfeiture of any medals, points, records and prizes. This includes the gold medal she won at the World Cup in Eger.

As a result of this disqualification, Moldova’s Larisa Marinekova will now receive the gold while silver and bronze will be reallocated to Poland’s Beata Jankowska and Brazil’s Amanda De Sousa respectively.

The IPC would like to remind all athletes about the risks associated with using supplements, and that 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, and that 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.