In October 2016 Anti-Doping Norway has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Nowegian Athlete Therese Johaug after her A and B samples tested positive for the prohibited substance clostebol. After notification a provisional suspension was ordered. The Athlete filed a statement in her defence and she was heard for the Adjudication Committee of the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports.
The Athlete did not dispute the test results and asserted that the violation was non intentional. She stated that she had a sunstroke while at a training camp in Italy in August 2016 and hereafter she developed a fever, diarrhoea and sunburst on her lip. The Athlete’s team doctor treated the Athlete’s sunburst with the pharmaceutical substance Trofodermin which he purchased at a pharmacy in Livigno, Italy, in September 2016. The doctor assured the Athlete that she could use the product and she mentioned Trofodermin on the Doping Control Form when she provided a sample for drug testing in September 2016.
The Adjudication Committee accepts the Athlete’s explanation and witness statements in this case and finds it not reasonable to assume that the insufficient dose of clostebol would produce a performance enhancing effect due to the use of the product Trofodermin.
Considering the circumstances and with No Significant Fault or Negligence in this case the Adjudication Committee decides on 10 February 2017 to impose a 13 month period of ineligibility on the Athlete starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 18 October 2016.
