Cyclist receives sanction
Sport Integrity Australia acknowledges that the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has imposed a three-year period of Ineligibility on athlete Jesse Ewart for the Presence and/or Use of a Prohibited Substance, namely Erythropoietin (EPO).
Mr Ewart, a cyclist with Terengganu Cycling Team at the time, returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) from an In-Competition doping control test on 26 January 2024.
The substance EPO is listed under Class S2.1.1 (Erythropoietins (EPO) and Agents Affecting Erythropoiesis) under the World Anti-Doping Code – International Standard – Prohibited List 2024 (Prohibited List 2024). The substance EPO is a Non-Specified Substance and is prohibited at all times.
Mr Ewart’s three-year period of Ineligibility commenced on 16 May 2024.
Mr Ewart is ineligible to participate in any sports that have adopted a World Anti-Doping Code compliant anti-doping policy until 15 May 2027.
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.
Additionally, Mr Ewart’s results from the date of sample collection (26 January 2024) until the start of the provisional suspension (16 May 2024) will be disqualified. Mr Ewart has also received a monetary fine of 7,000 CHF.
Additional information on the Prohibited Substance
Synthetic erythropoietin (EPO) is prohibited at all times by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as it increases red blood cell production, thereby increasing oxygen to the muscles. Use of EPO can be extremely dangerous without proper medical oversight and can increase the risk of death. The use of EPO results in increased production of red blood cells, making blood excessively thick and prone to clotting.
These risks are exacerbated by dehydration which often occurs during endurance exercise; further concentrating the blood and risking heart attack, stroke and blood clots.
In Australia, the use of this substance is only permitted for legitimate medical purposes and should only be administered by a registered medical doctor with the permission from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
It is otherwise illegal to possess, use or import EPO in Australia.
