Sport Integrity Australia acknowledges the decision of AusCycling to impose a three-month ban on athlete Raina Beesley for the presence of a metabolite of a prohibited substance.
Ms Beesley returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) from an In-Competition doping control test on 19 December 2021.
Her sample was analysed at the Australian Sports Drug Testing Laboratory, part of the National Measurement Institute, which detected the presence of a metabolite of a prohibited substance, namely 11-nor-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid (a metabolite of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)).
Tetrahydrocannabinol THC is listed under Class S8 'Cannabinoids' of the 2021 Prohibited List and is classified as a Substance of Abuse.
It was determined that Ms Beesley ingested the THC Out-of-Competition and that the ingestion or use of THC was unrelated to sport performance.
AusCycling thereby imposed a three-month ban on Ms Beesley commencing on 1 July 2022, consistent with Article 10.2.4.1 of the Australian National Anti-Doping Policy 2021.
Ms Beesley is ineligible to participate in any sports that have adopted a World Anti-Doping Code compliant anti-doping policy until 1 October 2022.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE PROHIBITED SUBSTANCE
All prohibited substances are added to the Prohibited List because they meet two of the three following criteria:
- Use of the substance has the potential to enhance performance;
- Use of the substance can cause harm to the health of the athlete; and
- Use of the substance violates the spirit of sport.
All natural and synthetic cannabinoids are prohibited In-Competition with the exception of Cannabidiol. This includes:
- All cannabis (hashish, marijuana) and cannabis products;
- Natural and synthetic tetrahydrocannabinols (THCs); and
- Synthetic cannabinoids that mimic the effects of THC.
