Weightlifter receives sanction
Sport Integrity Australia acknowledges the decision of the Australian Weightlifting Federation to impose a 12-year ban on athlete Andrew Ciancio for the Presence of a metabolite of a Prohibited Substance and Use of a Prohibited Substance.
Mr Ciancio, an athlete in the sport of weightlifting, returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) from an Out-of-Competition doping control test on 5 September 2022.
Mr Ciancio’s sample was analysed at the Australian Sports Drug Testing Laboratory, part of the National Measurement Institute, and the presence of 3α-hydroxy-2α-methyl-5α-androstan-17-one (metabolite of Drostanolone) was detected.
The substance Drostanolone is listed under Class S1.1 Anabolic Agents (Anabolic Androgenic Steroids) under the World Anti-Doping Code – International Standard – Prohibited List – 2022 (Prohibited List 2022). The substance Drostanolone is a Non-Specified Substance and is prohibited at all times.
It was determined that on and/or before 5 September 2022 Mr Ciancio Used a Prohibited Substance, namely Drostanolone.
Mr Ciancio’s Anti-Doping Rule Violations in relation to his doping control test on 5 September 2022 were considered his ‘second violation’ within a ten-year period.
The Australian Weightlifting Federation thereby imposed a 12-year ban on Mr Ciancio commencing on 5 September 2022.
Mr Ciancio is ineligible to participate in any sports that have adopted a World Anti-Doping Code compliant anti-doping policy until 5 September 2034.
He is also not permitted to compete in a non-Signatory professional league or Event organised by a non-Signatory International Event organisation or a non-Signatory national-level event organisation.
Additional information on the Prohibited Substance
The substance Drostanolone is listed under Class S1.1 Anabolic Agents (Anabolic Androgenic Steroids) under the Prohibited List 2022. The substance Drostanolone is classified as a Non-Specified Substance and is prohibited at all times.
Anabolic agents pose many threats to an athlete’s health and some side effects may include an increase in blood pressure and cholesterol levels which can lead to heart disease. Liver disease and infertility can also result from the use of these agents.
Sport Integrity Australia is committed to protecting the right of clean athletes to fair competition.
If you are aware of any suspicious activity, you can:
- Report it anonymously online or:
- Contact Sport Integrity Australia by calling: 1300 027 232
Sport Integrity Australia recommends checking substances before taking them and following our advice on supplements.
The Sport Integrity app provides a resource to both check substances and medications. As well as information on how to find batch-tested supplements and see if a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) is needed.
The app is available for free download on the App Store and Google Play.
