Wheelchair racer suspended for anti-doping violation

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has suspended Costa Rican wheelchair racer Laurens Molina Sibaja for four years for committing an anti-doping violation.

The two-time Paralympian returned an adverse analytical finding for methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta (CERA) in a urine sample provided on 20 April 2017 in an out-of-competition test in London, Great Britain, in the days prior to the World Para Athletics Marathon World Cup in the city.

This substance is included on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2017 Prohibited List under the category S2. Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics and is prohibited both in and out of competition.

As a result of his violation, Sibaja - a T54 class athlete - will be ineligible for competition for four years from 20 April 2017, the date of the test, until 19 April 2021.

All his results obtained from 20 April 2017, the date of the test and onwards will be disqualified including forfeiture of any medals, points, records and prizes.

The IPC would like to remind all athletes 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.