Iraqi Powerlifter Suspended after Anti-Doping Rule Violation

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced that the Iraqi Powerlifter Rasool Mohsin has been suspended for two years for an Anti-Doping Rule Violation.

Mohsin returned an adverse analytical finding for Methylhexaneamine in a urine sample provided on 23 July 2011 during the 2011 IPC Powerlifting Open International Championships in Amman, Jordan.

This substance is included on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2011 Prohibited List under the ‘Stimulants’ category and is consequently prohibited under the IPC Anti-Doping Code.

In accordance with the IPC Anti-Doping Code, Rasool Mohsin will serve a two year suspension for the offence beginning on 20 October 2011, the date from which he was notified of his Anti-Doping Rule Violation. All results obtained from the date of the competition on 23 July 2011 and onwards, will be disqualified with all the resulting consequences including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes. A financial sanction of €1,500 was also imposed on the athlete.

The principle of strict liability applies to anti-doping matters. Therefore, each athlete is strictly liable for the substances found in his or her sample, and that an anti-doping rule violation occurs whenever a prohibited substance (or its metabolites or markers) is found in bodily specimen, whether or not the athlete intentionally or unintentionally used a prohibited substance or was negligent or otherwise at fault.

As a signatory of the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC), the IPC remains committed to a doping free sporting environment at all levels. The IPC, together with the International Federations and the National Paralympic Committees, established the IPC Anti-Doping Code (January 2004, revision in 2009) to prevent doping in sport for Paralympic athletes, in the spirit of fair play. The IPC Anti-Doping Code is in conformity with the general principles of the WADC.

For further information, please visit www.paralympic.org

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Notes to the Editor:

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games, and serves as the International Federation for nine sports, for which it supervises and co-ordinates the World Championships and other competitions. The IPC is committed to enabling Paralympic athletes to achieve sporting excellence and to develop sport opportunities for all persons with a disability from the beginner to elite level. In addition, the IPC aims to promote the Paralympic values, which include courage, determination, inspiration and equality.

Founded on 22 September 1989, the IPC is an international non-profit organization formed and run by 170 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) from five regions and four disability specific international sports federations (IOSDs). The IPC Headquarters and its management team are located in Bonn, Germany.

For further information, please contact Craig Spence, IPC Media and Communications Senior Manager on e-mail: craig.spence@paralympic.org or call +49-228-2097-230. Alternatively, please visit www.paralympic.org.

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