Russian Dancer Suspended for One Year after Anti-Doping Rule Violation

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced that the Russian Wheelchair Dance Sport athlete Konstantin Sosunov has been suspended for one year for an Anti-Doping Rule Violation.

Sosunov returned an adverse analytical finding for 19-norandrosterone and 19-noretiocholanolone in a urine sample provided on 6 November 2010 after the first day of the IPC Wheelchair Dance Sport World Championships in Hannover, Germany.

Such substances are included in the 2010 Prohibited List and consequently prohibited under the IPC Anti-Doping Code, which has adopted the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC).

A hearing into the case revealed that the prohibited substances had been prescribed to Sosunov during a hospital stay in Spring 2010. However the athlete did not have a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) to explain the adverse analytical finding, nor did he retrospectively apply to obtain a TUE.

According to the IPC Anti-Doping Code, it is each athlete's personal duty to ensure that no prohibited substances enter his or her body. Furthermore, each athlete is responsible for any prohibited substances found in their bodily specimen, regardless of how it entered their body.

In accordance to the IPC Anti-Doping Code, Konstantin Sosunov will serve a one year suspension for the offence dating from 6 November 2010, the date the sample was taken. All results obtained from 6 November 2010 will be disqualified with all the resulting consequences including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes.

As a result, he and his dance partner will be stripped of the one gold and one silver medal they won in Hannover at the IPC Wheelchair Dance Sport World Championships in Duo Standard Class 2 and Duo Latin Class 2.

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 (January 2004) to prevent in the spirit of fair play, doping in sport for Paralympic athletes. The IPC Anti-Doping Code is in conformity with the general principles of the WADC.

For further information, please visit www.paralympic.org

Notes to the Editor:

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games, and serves as the International Federation for nine sports, for which it supervises and co-ordinates the World Championships and other competitions. The IPC is committed to enabling Paralympic athletes to achieve sporting excellence and to developing sport opportunities for all persons with a disability from the beginner to elite level. In addition, the IPC aims to promote the Paralympic values, which include courage, determination, inspiration and equality.

Founded on 22 September 1989, the IPC is an international non-profit organization formed and run by 167 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) from five regions and four disability specific international sports federations (IOSDs). The IPC Headquarters and its management team are located in Bonn, Germany.

For further information, please contact Craig Spence, IPC Media and Communications Senior Manager on e-mail:craig.spence@paralympic.org or call +49-228-2097-230. Alternatively, please visit www.paralympic.org or www.ParalympicSport.TV