Clenbuterol bans uneven as Contador hearing looms
News earlier this month that scores of soccer players at the Under-17 World Cup in Mexico tested positive for traces of clenbuterol — and the decision by WADA and FIFA to not pursue any of the cases — reveals just how inconsistent sports justice has been in applying rules in clenbuterol cases.
Clenbuterol positives have drawn a wide variety of sanctions (see list below), with some athletes serving full, two-year bans in first offenses while others are being cleared entirely.
With Alberto Contador facing a possible two-year ban and the loss of his 2010 Tour de France crown after testing positive for traces of clenbuterol, that question of consistency will be under the microscope.
When Contador’s case first made headlines, some laughed at the suggestion that eating meat could trigger a “false positive,” but the argument has been gaining legitimacy within the corridors of both the World Anti-Doping Agency and other sports federations.
Following a string of high-profile clenbuterol cases, the issue has become so serious that WADA issued a warning earlier this month when it revealed it would not follow up on appeals involving clenbuterol cases coming out of Mexico.
On October 17, WADA gave its strongest message yet on the clenbuterol issue, saying it would not appeal a case involving five Mexican footballers who tested positive after eating meat in a training camp ahead of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in June.
“WADA has subsequently received compelling evidence from a FIFA study at the U17 World Cup in Mexico that indicates a serious health problem in Mexico with regards to meat contaminated with clenbuterol,” WADA stated in a release. “This is a public health issue that is now being addressed urgently by the Mexican Government.”
FIFA – soccer’s governing body – also studied the clenbuterol issue involving Mexico when scores of Under-17 soccer players tested positive.
FIFA revealed that players from 19 of 24 teams competing in an Under-17 World Cup in Mexico this summer had traces of clenbuterol in their systems, with 109 of 208 samples coming back positive. Both FIFA and WADA declined to prosecute the cases, citing possible food contamination as the culprit.
“It’s extremely serious for WADA,” Olivier Niggli, WADA’s legal director, said in a conference call to journalists. “Now it’s known it’s an issue, warnings are going to be sent.”
The Mexican cases come on the heels of other clenbuterol positives coming out of China.
Fuyu Li, a Chinese rider on RadioShack, tested positive
To read the whole story, visit here: http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/10/news/clenbuterol-bans-uneven-as-contador-hearing-looms_196486?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/10/news/clenbuterol-bans-uneven-as-contador-hearing-looms_196486