Doping | Mathias Flückiger proclaims his innocence

New twist within the doping case of Mathias Flückiger. Remained discreet for the reason that revelation of his optimistic management on August 19, the Swiss spoke for the primary time on the topic final evening by his crew and proclaims his innocence, with new info in help. We take inventory:

An athlete who claims his innocence within the face of a doping cost is hardly shocking, however the info supplied by Mathias Flückiger on his state of affairs is sufficient to complicate the case and make it rather less clear than it appeared within the first place.

Keep in mind, 3 weeks in the past the Swiss anti-doping group Swiss Sport Integrity introduced that the driving force Thömus had examined optimistic on June 5 for Zeranol (learn
Mathias Flückiger provisionally suspended for doping), an anabolic product banned by the World Anti-Doping Company.

Within the press launch revealed by the Thömus-Maxon crew, we be taught that the amount of Zeranol discovered within the pattern could be greater than 15 instances decrease than the values ​​often measured within the occasion of consumption of contaminated meat (the usage of Zeranol for development livestock is illegitimate within the European Union however licensed in North America specifically).

As well as, Flückiger would have produced two adverse check outcomes shortly earlier than and shortly after the suspicious test, parts which might corroborate the thesis of the accident. Zeranol is notably naturally current in mushrooms of the genus Fusariumwhich might assault many edible merchandise (tomato, melon, watermelon, onion, apple, cucumber, zucchini, potato, and many others.).

Nonetheless, the pattern which gave rise to the optimistic outcome was examined in a special laboratory from the opposite two and offered as extra delicate. Sufficient to spotlight a micro-dose technique? When you’re informed that nothing is ever easy… Nonetheless, the matter appears certainly way more difficult than it appeared at first sight.

Furthermore, the press launch specifies that within the gentle of all these parts (incriminated product, low focus, adverse exams), the World Anti-Doping Company recommends classifying the outcome as “atypical” reasonably than as “optimistic”. Suggestions that Swiss Sport Integrity didn’t comply with in its preliminary press launch.

It’s due to this fact utterly unclear for the second and we must wait for brand spanking new samples to seek out out extra, such because the evaluation of the B pattern. Mathias Flückiger additionally requested a hair evaluation to attempt to deliver new objects on file. Within the meantime, he stays provisionally suspended till additional discover by his federation.

In a sport with a relationship to doping as advanced as biking, the slightest accusation can rapidly trigger nice harm. It’s true that the primary official press releases left little room for doubt, however these new parts remind us that we should chorus from making a judgment too swiftly, particularly when a process continues to be in progress. If Mathias Flückiger have been to be exonerated with a dependable, stable and reassuring clarification (which we clearly want), we want him good luck in recovering from all this…

The complete press launch:

Mathias Flückiger proclaims his innocence and exposes the info of the case

Nearly three weeks after reporting a optimistic A pattern for the substance Zeranol, Swiss mountain biker Mathias Flückiger speaks out for the primary time and clarifies: “I’ve not knowingly ingested Zeranol.” The quantity apparently present in Mathias Flückiger’s A-sample is so small that Flückiger’s A-sample ought to solely have been assessed as an “atypical discovering”, however not a “optimistic discovering”.

To his information, Mathias Flückiger has by no means ingested a prohibited substance. Apparently, nonetheless, the WADA-accredited laboratory in Lausanne discovered minimal quantities of Zeranol within the A pattern of June 5, 2022.

The Lausanne laboratory due to this fact identified in its doping management report on the A pattern that this might point out the consumption of contaminated meat, particularly since Zeranol isn’t referred to as a doping agent. So the smallest quantity discovered had no performance-enhancing impact anyway.

So as to keep away from false biases, WADA has issued an instruction for anti-doping authorities on the way to proceed in such instances (Stakeholder Discover relating to potential meat contamination instances of June 1, 2021). Sadly, Swiss Sport Integrity didn’t comply with this instruction. Based on this, the A pattern of Mathias Flückiger ought to have been evaluated solely as an “atypical outcome”, however not as a “optimistic outcome”.

This analysis would have been indicated urgently, specifically due to the way more delicate measurement strategies of the Lausanne laboratory (in comparison with different laboratories). The quantity apparently present in Mathias Flückiger’s A pattern is a number of instances decrease (0.3 ng/mL) than the edge worth for doable meat contamination (5 ng/mL). As well as, Flückiger supplied two adverse doping samples a couple of days earlier than and some days after the June 5 check.

Within the meantime, Mathias Flückiger has consulted Swiss Sport Integrity’s information and requested all of the documentation (Documentation Bundle) from the Lausanne laboratory regarding pattern A. Swiss Sport Integrity has suspended all deadlines till the submission of the documentation, due to this fact no B samples have been requested up to now.

Mathias Flückiger is at the moment intensively analyzing all doable explanations for the origin of this atypical outcome. A hair evaluation has already been ordered from Prof. Pascal Kintz and Mathias Flückiger assured Swiss Sport Integrity of its willingness to cooperate absolutely with any investigation.

As a result of intensive investigations, the complexity of the case and the continued proceedings, Mathias Flückiger is not going to make any additional statements at the moment.