IRISH SPORTS COUNCIL Anti-Doping Rule Violation

The Motor Cycling Union of Ireland and the Irish Sports Council today jointly announced that the Irish Sport Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel has issued a determination in a case involving a motocross rider who participated in a competition under the auspices of the Motor Cycling Union of Ireland. The Panel determined that the rider committed an anti-doping rule violation, but ordered that the rider's identity should not be disclosed.

The Panel found that, contrary to Article 2.1 of the Irish Anti-Doping Rules, the presence of a Prohibited Substance or its metabolite, tetrahydrocannabinol (cannabis), was found in a sample of the rider's urine.

The rider's results in the race are automatically disqualified in accordance with the Irish Anti-Doping Rules. The Panel imposed a sanction of a period of ineligibility of ten weeks plus one (the first) championship event in the 2010 season, subject to the rider's right of appeal. The Irish Sport Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel had discretion in this case as to the sanction it decided to impose. The rider was provisionally suspended by the Motor Cycling Union of Ireland as of the 23rd August 2009 and the period of ineligibilty will run until the 1st of November 2009 and in addition, the rider will not be eligible to compete in the first motocross championship event of 2010.

The hearing was held under Article 8 (Disciplinary Process) of the Irish Anti-Doping Rules and this announcement is made pursuant to Article 15 (Public Disclosure) of the Irish Anti-Doping Rules.