FIS files appeal to CAS on Anti-Doping Norway decision in Johaug case

FIS MEDIA INFO
FIS files appeal to CAS on Anti-Doping Norway decision in Johaug case

On 13th October 2016 it was announced that Norwegian Cross Country skier Therese Johaug tested positive for the banned substance clostebol in an out-of-competition test. After a hearing and discovery process, the Adjudication Committee of the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports on 10th February 2017 issued a 13 month suspension for Therese Johaug.

Following a full review by the FIS Doping Panel of the decision of the above mentioned Committee, FIS has decided to file an appeal against the decision of the Adjudication Committee of the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS).

The Committee, when issuing the 13 month suspension, found that Therese Johaug had committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation and held that she acted not without no fault, but rather with no significant fault. The evidence before the Committee established that the use of the banned substance was unintentional and based upon the advice of a trusted and reputable doctor.

However, the FIS Doping Panel has found that the sanction imposed is on the low end of the range of reasonable sanctions and fails to adequately reflect the fact that the athlete Therese Johaug failed to read the doping warning label printed in red on the package despite the fact that the medication was unknown to her and was purchased in a foreign country.

For the above reasons, the FDP has filed an appeal on the decision of the Adjudication Committee to the Court of Arbitration and Sport in order to have an independent judgement of the sanction.

FIS will not comment further about this ongoing case until CAS has made its final decision in the matter.