IOC takes decisions on three doping cases

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today took decisions on three pending doping cases from the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing regarding the following athletes:

- Vadim Devyatovskiy (Belarus, athletics) - second in the Men’s Hammer Throw event;
- Ivan Tsikhan (Belarus, athletics) - third in the Men’s Hammer Throw event and
- Adam Seroczynski (Poland, kayak) - fourth in the Kayak double (K2) 1000m Men event.

Decision on Vadim Devyatovskiy:

The IOC announces that Vadim Devyatovskiy, athletics (men’s hammer throw), from Belarus, committed an Anti-Doping Rules violation at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing.

Mr Vadim Devyatovskiy, 31, tested positive on 17 August 2008 for the presence of exogenous testosterone.

The athlete Vadim Devyatovskiy, Belarus, athletics

- is disqualified from the Men’s Hammer Throw event, where he had placed second;

- shall have his medal and his diploma in the above-noted event withdrawn;

- is permanently ineligible for all future Olympic Games in any capacity.

- The IAAF is requested to modify the results of the above-mentioned event accordingly and to consider any further action within its own competence.

- The NOC of Belarus is ordered to return to the IOC, as soon as possible, the diploma and the medal awarded to the athlete in relation to the above-noted event.

- This decision shall enter into force immediately.

The sanction of a lifetime ban from the Olympic Games in this case was considered appropriate on the grounds that it is the second time the athlete has been found to have violated IOC anti-doping rules.


Decision on Ivan Tsikhan:

The IOC also took a decision in the case of Ivan Tsikhan, Belarus, athletics (men’s hammer throw), who committed an Anti-Doping Rules violation at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing.

Mr Ivan Tsikhan, 32, tested positive on 17 August 2008 for the presence of exogenous testosterone.

The IOC decides:

The athlete Ivan Tsikhan, Belarus, Athletics

- is disqualified from the Men’s Hammer Throw event, where he had placed third;

- shall have his medal and his diploma in the above-noted event withdrawn;

- The IAAF is requested to modify the results of the above-mentioned event accordingly and to consider any further action within its own competence.

- The NOC of Belarus is ordered to return to the IOC, as soon as possible, the diploma and the medal awarded to the athlete in relation to the above-noted event.

- This decision shall enter into force immediately.


Decision on Adam Seroczynski:

Furthermore, the IOC took a decision in the case of Adam Seroczynski, Poland, canoe (kayak), who committed an Anti-Doping Rules violation at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing.

Mr Adam Seroczynski, 34, tested positive on 22 August 2008 for Clenbuterol.

The IOC decides:

The athlete Adam Seroczynski, Poland, Kayak

- is disqualified from the Kayak double (K2) 1000m Men event, where he had placed 4th;

- shall have his diploma in the above-noted event withdrawn;

- The International Canoe Federation is requested to modify the results of the above-mentioned event accordingly and to consider any further action within its own competence.

- The NOC of Poland is ordered to return to the IOC, as soon as possible, the diplomas awarded to the above-mentioned athlete in relation to the above-noted event.

- This decision shall enter into force immediately.

Regarding the kayak double team (K2), Poland, canoe, consisting of Adam Seroczynski and Mariusz Kujawski, the team will also be disqualified. It is to be stressed that such disqualification is a direct consequence of the Anti-Doping Rules violation by Adam Seroczynski in compliance with the applicable rules, despite Mariusz Kujawski himself not having been found to have committed any Anti-Doping Rules violation. Considering the above, the IOC decided:

The team, composed of Adam Seroczynski and Mariusz Kujawski;

- is disqualified from the Kayak double (K2) 1000m Men event, where it had placed 4th;

- the diplomas awarded to the members of the team in the above-noted event shall be withdrawn;

- The NOC of Poland is ordered to inform the members of the team and to return to the IOC, as soon as possible, the diplomas awarded to the above-mentioned athletes in relation to the above-noted event.

- This decision shall enter into force immediately.


In all, 4,770 doping tests were carried out in Beijing in the framework of the largest ever testing programme for an Olympic Games. The tests included 3,801 urine and 969 blood tests. Urine tests included 817 EPO tests, and blood tests covered 471 human Growth Hormone (hGH) tests. All the tests covered the 29-day period from 27 July until 24 August 2008. Athletes qualified for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games were tested by the World Anti-Doping Agency and BOCOG under the authority of the IOC. As a general rule, all top five finishers, plus a further two, were tested.