IPF Suspends Russia a Third Time

IPF President Detlev Albrings has issued a statement today, on behalf of the Executive Committee, which hands down a third suspension to the Russian affiliate, RPF. The suspension is a result of the violation of the terms of the federation's probation from their second suspension. Any international or regional doping failure was to trigger another suspension. Julia Zaugulova's positive result from an IPF OCT in August triggered the new suspension.

This third suspension is different from the first two in that only open lifters have been suspended, not the entire Russian federation. Open class lifters will be suspended from international and regional competitions through July 26. They will miss the 2008 Powerlifting World Championships, 2009 European Powerlifting Championships, 2009 Bench Press World Championships, and the 2009 World Games.

The team appears to be eligible to return to competition at the 2009 European Bench Press Championships on August 6-8. They also will be eligible to compete at the 2009 Powerlifting World Championships.

The reduced sentence levied by the IPF was due to the progress that the RPF has made in 2007 and 2008 in the area of doping, including establishment of a domestic OCT program, significant progress on whereabouts reporting, and cooperation with IPF OCT testing.

The suspension also mandates that the RPF continue to pay for IPF OCT testing in Russia and that they continue to conduct their own national OCT testing.

While one international doping failure violated the last two probations and triggered a suspension, that will no longer be the case under the new suspension. It will now require four international or regional violations in a 12 month period to violate their probation. "According our IPF Anti-Doping rules 12.5 if 4 or more athletes of the Russian Powerlifting Federation will have a positive drug test result in any 12 months period at any international championship, regional championship or OCT test, the IPF Executive Committee will decide about an appropriate suspension."

Members of the IPF and others in the sporting world will be aware that over the last three years the IPF has instituted various disciplinary and rehabilitatory actions with nations with unacceptable drug test result from international competition.

Such actions have included sanctions against the Russian Powerlifting Federation (RPF). As from mid 2007 the RPF was in the position that it was serving out an extended suspended sentence, running through to the end of 2008. The terms of that suspended sentence included the provision that even one international positive drug test would trigger a full suspension.

With that sentence hanging over the heads of the Russian Federation, some encouraging developments were observed in the IPF. A domestic Out-of-Competition testing programme was reported, with mostly negative results and positives acted on by suspension. In Russia’s return to World Championships, in Austria last October and also at the World Championships Sub-Juniors and Juniors 2008 Russian many athletes were tested, with all results negative. The RPF has provided Whereabouts details for many of its international athletes in WADA-ADAMS and has co-operated with IPF Out-of-Competition testing in Russia.

However unfortunately an August 2008 IPF Out-of-Competition test on a Russian athlete has returned a positive result for anabolic. A 2 year individual suspension has been imposed on that athlete.

The IPF Executive has considered all aspects of the recent situation with the RPF and has determined that the positive test result, at a time of suspended sentence for the RPF, must be met with a further suspension. However the IPF has taken into account the other steps forward by the RPF in 2007/2008 and has tailored the federation penalty to reflect the circumstances of this case.

Accordingly, the Open female and male Powerlifting team has been suspended from international and regional competition. That means the Open female and male team of the RPF cannot take part at the Men’s and Women’s World Championships 2008 in Canada, the Men’s and Women’s European Powerlifting Championships 2009 in Finland and at the World Games 2009 in Chinese Taipei. Furthermore no athlete of the Open female and male Powerlifting team can take part at the World Bench Press Championships 2009 in Luxembourg.

As well, the IPF will in 2008 and 2009 continue to conduct Out-of-Competition testing in Russia, which must be paid by the RPF, as well as requiring the RPF to conduct its own national Out-of-Competition testing programme.

According our IPF Anti-Doping rules 12.5 if 4 or more athletes of the Russian Powerlifting Federation will have a positive drug test result in any 12 months period at any international championship, regional championship or OCT test, the IPF Executive Committee will decide about an appropriate suspension.

The IPF continues to attempt to be constructive in using sanctioning, monitoring and direct testing as methods in assisting federations in solving any doping problems in their nation. However the IPF reserves the right to employ extended suspension or even expulsion with national federations with recurring doping problems. Not only Russia, but also other national federations are now being examined by the IPF in terms of their doping records and we will continue to take all necessary measures to eradicate drugs in Powerlifting.