European champion stripped of title for anti-doping violation

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) suspended French powerlifter Rafik Arabat for nine months for committing an anti-doping violation.

The athlete who competes in the up to 88kg class returned an adverse analytical finding for Hydrochlorothiazide in a urine sample provided on 28 May 2018 following competition at the 2018 World Para Powerlifting European Open Championships in Berck-sur-Mer, France.

This substance is included on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2018 Prohibited List under the category S5. Diuretics and Agents.

As a result of his violation, Arabat was ineligible for competition for nine months from 28 May 2018, the date of the test, to 27 February 2019.

All his results obtained from 28 May 2018 and onwards will be disqualified including forfeiture of any medals, points, records and prizes. This includes the European title he won in Berck-sur-Mer. As a result of the disqualification, Brazil’s Evanio Da Silva, the original silver medallist, will now be awarded the gold medal. Silver will now go to Uzbekistan’s Farhod Umirzakov and bronze Finland’s Janne Pipponen.

The IPC would like to remind all athletes the principle of strict liability applies to anti-doping matters and that any athletes who need to take a prohibited substance for medical reasons should seek a Therapeutic Use Exemption. 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.