The Courtroom of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has launched the operative award–a doc that comprises solely the three-arbitrator panel’s ruling–formally handing down Tokyo Olympian Michael Brinegar‘s 4 yr suspension for blood doping. The US Anti-Doping Company (USADA) revealed the award, noting that the reasoned choice continues to be forthcoming.
CAS selected to subject the operative award upfront of the reasoned choice to “guarantee decision upfront of group choice selections associated to the upcoming Paris Olympic Video games,” per the USADA’s announcement of its launch.
The courtroom’s ruling was first introduced throughout the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials with lower than 24 hours to go till the 1500 freestyle, Brinegar’s last occasion of the meet. He had already taken half within the 400 freestyle (seventeenth, 3:51.33) and the 800 freestyle (twelfth, 8:00.15). The ruling meant he needed to scratch his remaining occasion.
CAS’s verdict overturned the December 2023 ruling by an impartial arbitrator that Brinegar didn’t violate anti-doping guidelines and as a substitute finds that Brinegar violated Article 2.2 of the World Anti-Doping Code. The choice handed Brinegar a 4 yr suspension that formally started June 21, 2024, the date CAS first launched their choice.
World Anti-Doping Code, Article 2.2:
Article 2.2 Use or Tried Use by an Athlete of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Methodology
2.2.1 It’s the Athlete’s private responsibility to make sure that no Prohibited Substance enters their our bodies and that no Prohibited Methodology is Used. Accordingly, it’s not needed that intent, Fault, Negligence or realizing Use on the Athlete’s half be demonstrated in an effort to set up an anti-doping rule violation for Use of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Methodology
2.2.2 The success or failure of the Use of Tried Use of a Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Methodology isn’t materials. It’s adequate that the Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Methodology was Used or Tried to be Used for an anti-doping rule violation to be dedicated.
Although the official suspension started final week, USADA stated of their assertion that Brinegar will obtain credit score for the interval he was provisionally suspended (August 18, 2023 to November 27, 2023). All of Brinegar’s outcomes from July 20, 2022 by way of December 31, 2022 are disqualified.
This course of started on June 26, 2023, the day earlier than 2023 U.S. Nationals, which is when Brinegar stated in an announcement that the USADA notified him by way of e mail they have been opening a case towards him as a result of there have been abnormalities in his Athlete Organic Passport (ABP) that resulted in an Antagonistic Passport Discovering. That is totally different than testing constructive for a banned substance.
The USADA was referring to check outcomes from July, August, and September 2022–after the 2022 World Championships. Brinegar was initially entered in Worlds that yr, however withdrew after contracting COVID-19.
Of their assertion on June 21, 2024, the USADA stated they have been involved with “three samples collected from Brinegar between July 20, 2022 and September 27, 2022 confirmed values in line with blood doping, particularly the usage of ESAs, as confirmed by unanimous professional analysis of Brinegar’s blood profile in early 2023.”
Brinegar says that assessments got here throughout “a interval I used to be not coaching.” He advised SwimSwam that “the alleged abnormalities in my blood values will be defined by non-doping components reminiscent of restoration from COVID-19, hydration standing, coaching and detraining intervals, and improper dealing with of samples.”
The impact of COVID-19 on Brinegar’s blood samples is likely one of the key factors of rivalry between he and the USADA. Brinegar asserts that “USADA dismisses the chance that I developed anemia after contracting COVID-19 simplybecause they didn’t take any blood samples throughout the related time interval.”
Brinegar advised SwimSwam he stays “dedicated to proving [his] innocence.”
