MONACO.- The gold medalist in pole vault, Thiago Braz, of Brazilwas banned for 16 months for doping and will miss the Paris Olympic Gamesthe Athletics Integrity Unit reported on Tuesday.
Braz won the gold medal at the 2016 Rio Games and took bronze three years ago in Tokyo.
The suspension against the 30-year-old Brazilian expires in November, but Braz filed an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the Integrity Unit added.
Braz assured that the positive test for ostarine was due to a contaminated nutritional supplement and the judges of the anti-doping court accepted by 2-1 the verdict that he had no significant fault, the AIU said.
More to decide:
The athletics unit’s investigation indicated it will consider the appeal to the CAS after they asked the first court to apply a four-year sanction.
Braz was “irresponsible” and acted “with indirect intent,” the AIU said, because he knew of the concern against Brazilian pharmaceutical companies and “evidently ignored that risk.”
He tested positive after the Diamond League meeting in Stockholm last July, weeks before the world championships.
Ostarine is a selective androgen receptor modulator used to improve muscle growth and performance.
The Paris Olympic Games will begin in just a few weeks and Brazil always presents itself as one of the main candidates to add medals for South America.
The nation has a great winning tradition in football, but has also excelled in other disciplines, such as combat, over the years. It is expected that, once again, Brazil will be among the most awarded countries in the region at the event that will take place in the French capital.
Source: With information from AP
