Olympic gold medallist Tate Smith receives two-year sports ban

The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) today welcomed the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to impose a two-year sporting ban on Olympic gold medallist, Tate Smith.

The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) today welcomed the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to impose a two-year sporting ban on Olympic gold medallist, Tate Smith for two presence violations and one use violation of the prohibited substance 3’-hydroxystanozolol glucuronide (a metabolite of Stanozolol).

Mr Smith tested positive for the prohibited substance in two out-of-competition samples provided on 21 and 22 July 2014 in Szolnok, Hungary. The samples were analysed by the World Anti-Doping Agency accredited laboratory in Cologne, Germany which is capable of detecting steroids at very low levels.

Mr Smith was issued with an Infraction Notice on 22 December 2014 and he requested a hearing before the CAS. An application to the CAS was lodged in January 2015 and the hearing took place on 27 and 28 July 2015.

Mr Smith’s argument before the CAS rested on the probability that Stanozolol was in the water where he trained and that it in some way entered his system either through drinking local water, contamination of his sample, or that it penetrated the skin while training.

In handing down its decision on 2 October 2015 the CAS found that Mr Smith had failed to establish how Stanozolol entered his system.

In its deliberations, the CAS noted three other training colleagues were tested at the same time and place as Mr Smith and these samples returned no adverse analytical findings (i.e. samples were clear of prohibited substances).

Mr Smith’s two-year ban imposed by the CAS was backdated to 8 September 2014 (the date of Mr Smith’s provisional suspension), which means he is ineligible to participate, as an athlete or support person, in any sports that have adopted a World Anti-Doping Agency compliant anti-doping policy until 8 September 2016.

CAS also determined that all competitive results obtained by Mr Smith from 22 July 2014 onwards shall be invalidated with all resulting consequences including forfeiture of any medals, points or prizes.

Stanozolol is categorised as an anabolic agent and is prohibited at all times under the World Anti-Doping Code.