Contaminated Supplement Likely Cause of Failed Drug Test

(Ottawa, Ontario – February 19, 2008) – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Serge Despres, a bobsleigh athlete, committed an anti-doping rule violation. The violation occurred during an out-of-competition doping control conducted on August 9, 2007 in Calgary, Alberta. 

Mr. Despres’ anti-doping rule violation was a result of his urine sample returning an adverse analytical finding for nandrolone, a prohibited substance on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List. 

The most probable source of the prohibited substance was a supplement that Mr. Despres had been taking. Although the supplement’s label did not list nandrolone among its ingredients, independent laboratory tests conducted on the supplement at the athlete’s initiative revealed that it was in fact laced with the anabolic steroid. 

The CCES emphasizes that the use of supplements is a doping risk for athletes, and underlines athletes’ strict liability for any substance found in their sample. 

In response to the CCES’ notification of the adverse analytical finding, Mr. Despres exercised his right to a hearing under the rules of the Canadian Anti-Doping Program. The independent arbitrator determined that Mr. Despres’ adverse analytical finding constitutes an anti-doping rule violation, and imposed a sanction of 20 months sport ineligibility. A copy of the independent arbitrator’s decision is available on the website of the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (www.sdrcc.ca).

This case, involving the inadvertent consumption of a banned steroid, highlights the danger for athletes in using supplements. Studies have proven that many supplements are contaminated, either intentionally or accidentally, with ingredients that are not listed on the label. 

The CCES is an independent, national, non-profit organization. Our mission, to foster ethical sport for all Canadians, is carried out through research, promotion, education, detection and deterrence, as well as through programs and partnerships with other organizations. 

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