Mr Vitaliy Rahimov is a Azerbaijani Athlete competing in the Men’s 55-60 kg Greco-Roman wrestling event at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
In 2016, the IOC decided to perform further analyses on certain samples collected during the 2008 Olympic Games. These additional analyses were performed with analytical methods which were not available in 2008.
In July 2016 the International Olympic Committee reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Athlete after his 2008 A and B samples tested positive for the prohibited substance dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (turinabol).
After notification the Athlete submitted that he did not accept the test results and indicated that he would attend the hearing and would submit a defence in writing. Hereafter the Athlete failed to file a statement in his defence nor did he attend the hearing of the IOC Disciplinary Commission.
The Commission finds that the Athlete does not bring forth any element challenging the validity of the analytical results and concludes that the Athlete has committed an anti-doping rule violation consistent with intentional use of a prohibited substance specifically ingested to deliberately improve performance. The fact that the metabolite of a doping substance, which is a “classical” doping substance, was found, supports this consideration.
Therefore the IOC Disciplinary Commission decides on 10 November 2016 that the Athlete, Vitaliy Rahimov:
1.) is found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation pursuant to the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing in 2008 (presence and/or use, of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers in an athlete’s bodily specimen),
2.) is disqualified from the Men’s 55-60 kg Greco-Roman wrestling in which he participated upon the occasion of the Olympic Games Beijing 2008,
3.) has the medal, the medallist pin and the diploma obtained in the Men’s 55-60 kg Greco-Roman wrestling withdrawn and is ordered to return the same.
4.) The UWW is requested to modify the results of the above-mentioned event accordingly and to consider any further action within its own competence.
5.) The National Olympic Committee of the Azerbaijani Republic shall ensure full implementation of this decision.
6.) The National Olympic Committee of the Azerbaijani Republic shall notably secure the return to the IOC, as soon as possible, of the medal, the medallist pin and the diploma awarded in connection with the Men’s 55-60 kg Greco-Roman wrestling to the Athlete.
7.) This decision enters into force immediately.
