A ‘TALENTED’ AMATEUR motocross rider has been banned for four years after he tested positive for cocaine use.
Ross Fanning, 28, failed a post-race drugs test after he finished second in an event run by Motorcycling Ireland in July 2016.
Tests on his ‘A’ sample discovered the substance Benzoylecgonine, which is the main metabolite of cocaine.
Fanning admitted the violation but was handed the maximum four-year suspension after he failed to engage with the disciplinary process and did not offer any mitigation.
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Cocaine is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of prohibited substances but its use is only prohibited in-competition.
Had Fanning been able to establish that the drug was taken out of competition and was unrelated to sport performance, a more lenient two-year ban would have applied.
But although he indicated “anecdotally” that this was the case, he did not attend the hearing on 16 January or make any representations in a bid to have his suspension reduced.
The Irish Sport Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel ruled that “in the absence of any evidence or submissions by or on behalf of Mr Fanning and on the basis of the evidence submitted by Sport Ireland, the Panel finds that there was an [Anti-Doping Rule Violation] by Mr Fanning.
“No evidence in mitigation has been advanced by or on Mr Fanning’s behalf.
“In all the circumstances, the Panel considers that the appropriate sanction is a period of ineligibility of four years.”
Fanning’s suspension dates back to 31 July 2016, the date on which the test took place.
'Talented' motocross rider banned for 4 years following positive cocaine test
A ‘TALENTED’ AMATEUR motocross rider has been banned for four years after he tested positive for cocaine use.
Ross Fanning, 28, failed a post-race drugs test after he finished second in an event run by Motorcycling Ireland in July 2016.
Tests on his ‘A’ sample discovered the substance Benzoylecgonine, which is the main metabolite of cocaine.
Fanning admitted the violation but was handed the maximum four-year suspension after he failed to engage with the disciplinary process and did not offer any mitigation.
Cocaine is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of prohibited substances but its use is only prohibited in-competition.
Had Fanning been able to establish that the drug was taken out of competition and was unrelated to sport performance, a more lenient two-year ban would have applied.
But although he indicated “anecdotally” that this was the case, he did not attend the hearing on 16 January or make any representations in a bid to have his suspension reduced.
The Irish Sport Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel ruled that “in the absence of any evidence or submissions by or on behalf of Mr Fanning and on the basis of the evidence submitted by Sport Ireland, the Panel finds that there was an [Anti-Doping Rule Violation] by Mr Fanning.
“No evidence in mitigation has been advanced by or on Mr Fanning’s behalf.
“In all the circumstances, the Panel considers that the appropriate sanction is a period of ineligibility of four years.”
Fanning’s suspension dates back to 31 July 2016, the date on which the test took place.
Read the disciplinary panel’s decision in full here >
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anti-doping Motocross Ross Fanning SPORT IRELAND