URGENT: Johaug Banned From Olympics ( Adds Full Text Of CAS Ruling)

Therese Johaug will miss the 2018 Olympic games in PyeongChang

This is the verdict made public today by the  Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne — Johaug is to be banned from all competitions for 18 months, starting from October 2016.

“…the Panel noted that Ms Johaug failed to conduct a basic check of the packaging, which not only listed a prohibited substance as an ingredient but also included clear doping cautionary warning. Such omissions resulted in an anti-doping rule violation inconsistent with her otherwise clean anti-doping record. Nevertheless, in order to ensure equality in applying antidoping rules, the Panel highlighted that it was obliged to apply a proportionate sanction, consistent with the level of fault. For this reason, the Panel noted that, in such a situation of non-significant fault, the 2015 World Anti-doping Code provides for a suspension range of between 12 – 24 months and determined in the present case that a period of ineligibility of 18 months, commencing on 18 October 2016, was appropriate…”

Full Text of the CAS ruling http://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Media_Release_5015.pdf

The 29-year-old Olympic and world champion was initially suspended for 13 months after she tested positive for clostebol, an anabolic steroid, by the Norwegian Olympic Committee.

The International Ski Federation (FIS) , however, appealed that decision with the CAS, seeking a 16- to 20-month suspension instead.

A 13 month suspension was opening the door for Johaug to run at the Olympics – a 18 month one makes it impossible.

Johaug’s ban was scheduled to expire at the very beginning of the ski competition season on 17 November 2017 – timing which would give her a comfortable enough time to prepare for the races in PyeongChang.

Johaug said the steroid was contained in a lip cream called Trofodermin, which she used to treat burns during a training session at high altitude in Italy in late August.

TO BE UPDATED

Photo courtesy of Therese Johaug Instagram account

https://www.instagram.com/johaugtherese/