RUSSIAN SOCHI 2014 PARALYMPIAN FOUND TO HAVE COMMITTED AN ANTI-DOPING RULE VIOLATION

Independent Tribunal upholds violation arising from sample swapping during the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games as part of the state-sponsored doping scheme that existed in Russia at that time.

The International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) Independent Anti-Doping Tribunal has found Para cross country and Para biathlon athlete Nikolay Polukhin committed an anti-doping rule violation at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, and his individual results from the event (including one gold and two silver medals) have been disqualified. 

The charges arose from investigations by the IPC into evidence provided by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in relation to the state-sponsored doping programme in Russian sport between (at least) 2012 and 2015. During that time period, the Moscow and Sochi laboratories utilised a ‘Disappearing Positive Methodology’ to conceal presumptive adverse analytical findings and, at the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, swapped out ‘dirty’ urine samples for ‘clean’ urine obtained from athletes for that purpose.

On 7 March 2023, the IPC charged the athlete with Use of a Prohibited Method (specifically, tampering by way of urine substitution) in breach of Article 2.2 of the 2011 IPC Anti-Doping Code. The athlete admitted using trimetazidine (TMZ) out-of-competition in February 2014 (which was permitted at that time) but denied knowledge of or participation in any sample swapping in March 2014. A hearing was held before the IPC’s Independent Anti-Doping Tribunal. Based on the detailed scientific and fact evidence presented by the IPC, the Independent Tribunal found:

1. No Pre-Prepared Urine Bank: Although a state-sponsored doping scheme existed in Russia, the Sochi laboratory had not prepared a clean urine bank for Paralympic athletes during the Sochi 2014 Games.

2. Positive Findings Covered Up: Several Russian Para cross-country skiers and biathletes, including the athlete, tested presumptively positive for TMZ, but analysis was halted and results falsely reported as negative.

3. Urine Samples Tampered With: To avoid detection during future reanalysis, the original “dirty” urine was discarded and replaced with clean urine.

4. Clear Evidence of Tampering: Forensic analysis showed the athlete’s sample bottle had been opened and resealed; the urine composition had changed, and DNA confirmed the substituted urine was his.

5. Tribunal Found Active Involvement: The Independent Tribunal concluded the athlete knowingly provided clean urine for the swap and failed to offer any plausible alternative explanation.