Swiss Olympic Disciplinary Chamber for Doping Cases has sentenced a visually impaired shooter to a lifetime ban and a fine for several doping offences.

A 38 year-old visually impaired shooter has been banned for life by the Swiss Olympic Disciplinary Chamber for Doping Cases due to the attempted use and placing on the market (trafficking) of Testosterone, Metandienone, Stanozolol, Halodrol, Chlorodehydromethyltestosterone, Oxymetholone, Tamoxifen and Clomifen. Three infringements by the athlete were proven to have taken place in the period between 2012 and 2016. The ban has applied since 21st June 2017, the start of the provisional ban, and is effective in regard to all sports. On the strength of reports from the Federal Customs Administration and on the basis of the Federal Act on the Promotion of Sport, the Antidoping Switzerland foundation carried out several administrative legal procedures to confiscate and destroy doping substances. The ensuing investigations revealed that the athlete had offered prohibited doping substances for sale on his Website and, in some cases, had concluded sales. In the subsequent proceedings brought before the Disciplinary Chamber for Doping Cases, the athlete admitted indirectly that he had sold various products on his Website. In addition to the ban, the convicted athlete was also ordered to pay a fine and damages, the costs of the proceedings and compensation to Antidoping Switzerland in an amount totalling 4,750 francs.

In this particular case, the athlete committed multiple violations. If three violations are committed within a period of ten years, this leads, in principle, to a lifelong ban. Antidoping Switzerland is reminding all athletes of the fact that placing powerful doping substances on the market not only has serious consequences in terms of disciplinary action but may also be prosecutable under criminal law. As is apparent from this case, amateur athletes are also banned for doping offences.