The Sanctions Thread

[Hawkpeter]

Weightlifting House is reporting that two athletes have been provisionally suspended due to using substitute urine samples. Among them, Nijat Rahimov...... that 2016 Rio Gold may be vulnerable to removal due to this.

[erpel]

This is specifically about 2016, and both competed in the Rio Olympics.

https://www.iwf.net/2021/01/18/public-disclosure-187/

As a follow up to the World Anti-Doping Agency (“WADA”)’s Intelligence & Investigations report on IWF released last fall, the ITA has received WADA’s case file (“Operation Arrow”) and after review, has decided to assert at this stage anti-doping rule violation for sample swapping against two athletes. Dumitru Captari, (ROU) and Nijat Rahimov (KAZ) have been informed today that the ITA is charging them with an anti-doping rule violation for “Urine Substitution” (Article 2.2 of the IWF Anti-Doping Rules) which would have occurred over a period of time in 2016. The Athletes are provisionally suspended until the resolution of their respective affairs.

[Hawkpeter]

So, I wonder when these violations occurred exactly. Is this out of competition testing in Kazakhstan and Romania? Rahimov didn't compete in any IWF events between 2015 Worlds and 2016 Olympics. According to WADA published data for that year, Kazakhstan conducted 24 out of competition urine tests in 2016. Is the Kazakh National Anti-Doping Centre involved in the this? *cough*

Captari only competed at 2016 Europeans, so that is an additional testing opportunity. If I recall, 2016 Euros might have been prime doppleganger territory if the German documentary is accurate. That may explain his suspension.

The McLaren report on the Rio games pretty much uncovered a absolute shit-show of anti-doping operations for that event, not enough chaperones and doping control officers to perform all the tests. Teh Rio lad was suspended a year out for procedural errors. I think I read a rumour at one stage claiming that Rahimov was not even tested in Rio which I found extraordinary, surely the Kazakhs didn't try to use a doppleganger in Rio. The most sensible explanation has to be that WADA had a Rahimov DNA sample from 2015 Worlds or something and compared it to something out of competition from inside Kazakhstan. Does the KNADC send samples to independent labs?

After reading WADA's Report on Operation Arrow again, it is amazing how widely but thinly spread the alleged practice of dopplegangers is. They are claiming 15 cases spread across 8 countries that they have evidence of. The problem of proving a case falls back on still having samples stored that they can test and cross reference. That link goes into great detail on page 11 and 12. I'm still at a loss of how Rahimov's case could be proven. When is it alleged that he provided a sample from someone else?

[erpel]

My understanding is they compared an OOC sample from spring/summer 2016 with his established DNA profile (Houston/Rio).
There were training tests conducted before these Olympics - but likely by HUNADO.
My hunch is he was "clean" for the IC tests and there were no fake prostethics involved.

[KrisG]

Anyone know how long of a sentence Hisaka ended up getting? After the DUI

As of today he is still in custody in Orange County Jail in California, with a $1,005,000 bail. He has a court appearance on January 22, but it doesn't say what that appearance is. It could be an attempt at bail reduction, or it may be trial. But he hasn't gone to trial yet. I can't find any new information since late 2018. Which is about normal for something like this. He's been charged with Murder following his DUI crash. With cases like this it often takes a year just to finish the forensic recreation of the crash. They may go to trial this week, or they may not even get on the 2021 docket.

[Hawkpeter]

and there were no fake prostethics involved.

Who doesn't love a whizzinator story?

[erpel]

After reading WADA's Report on Operation Arrow again, it is amazing how widely but thinly spread the alleged practice of dopplegangers is. They are claiming 15 cases spread across 8 countries that they have evidence of. The problem of proving a case falls back on still having samples stored that they can test and cross reference. That link goes into great detail on page 11 and 12.

According to page 12, cases are ongoing for 18 lifters. 10 "confirmed" and 8 "very likely". Those represent each 5 countries respectively, although they likely overlap partly or fully.

Considering they started out with investigating 130 lifters (!) for "having undergone urine substitution" it's still whack a mole.

[Cleddau]

After reading WADA's Report on Operation Arrow again, it is amazing how widely but thinly spread the alleged practice of dopplegangers is.

Thanks for linking this. I had never read the linked report and found it genuinely shocking.

[Cleddau]

Considering they started out with investigating 130 lifters (!) for "having undergone urine substitution" it's still whack a mole.

I completely agree.

Although the methodology isn't outlined in the report, the explanation that "...that the pattern centered, in part, on weightlifters who provided a ‘negative’ sample and then a ‘positive’ sample (AAF) shortly thereafter" suggests that the net is extremely limited in its scope.

[Hawkpeter]

The formal part of Romania's suspension has come through and published on the IWF website.