Shadi Issa suspended for anti-doping violation

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has suspended Syrian powerlifter Shadi Issa for two years for committing an anti-doping violation.

The London 2012 Paralympian returned an adverse analytical finding for clomiphene in a urine sample provided on 1 March 2017 after competing at the 8th FAZZA 2017 World Para Powerlifting World Cup in Dubai, UAE.

This substance is included on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2017 Prohibited List under the category S4: Hormone and Metabolic Modulators and is prohibited in-competition.

As a result of his violation, Issa – who was competing in the men’s up to 80kg class - will be ineligible for competition for two years from 26 April 2017, the date of the provisional suspension, until 26 April 2019.

All Issa’s results obtained from 1 March 2017, the date of the test and onwards will be disqualified including forfeiture of any medals, points, records and prizes. This includes the silver medal he won at the 8th FAZZA 2017 World Para Powerlifting World Cup. Due to his disqualification, Great Britain’s Michael Yule - who originally finished third - will receive the silver medal. The bronze medal will now go to Iraq’s Mohammed Mohammed.

World Para Powerlifting continues to deliver the information and awareness programme “Raise The Bar” to educate athletes and their support personnel about anti-doping matters.

The IPC would like to remind all athletes about the need to verify all medications before taking them, 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.