Drug Free Sport New Zealand starts proceedings against multiple athletes

Drug Free Sport New Zealand (DFSNZ) has initiated proceedings before both the Sports Tribunal of New Zealand and the New Zealand Rugby Judicial Committee after finding evidence suggesting athletes have been purchasing, possessing and/or using prohibited substances online.

Dozens of athletes from a range of sporting codes, from weekend club players and upwards have been identified as having interacted with an online steroid operation run through the website Clenbuterol NZ.

Website operator Josh Townshend was jailed earlier this year for two years for advertising, possessing and supplying prescription medicines. Two types of substances that are prohibited in sport have been identified - anabolic agents and hormone and metabolic modulators.

If it is determined that the athletes have committed one or more anti-doping rule violations they could face a ban from all sport. DFSNZ chief executive Nick Paterson says following the prosecution of Mr Townshend, it became apparent that there may have been athletes using his website and services. Through DFSNZ’s close relationship and collaboration with Medsafe, DFSNZ investigators analysed the available data to find evidence.

He says DFSNZ believes that, at a minimum, these athletes are going against the spirit of sport by contemplating using prohibited substances. Furthermore, they are taking on potentially significant health risks as purchasing any type of steroids online is extremely concerning.

“It’s been previously stated that few, if any, of the prohibited substances available for purchase on the Clenbuterol NZ website were of pharmaceutical grade. Who knows what people were consuming or injecting themselves with,” Mr Paterson stated.

“To have identified approximately 100 athletes using a website selling these substances is extremely disappointing to us at DFSNZ, and should also be of great concern to the wider sporting community.”

Mr Paterson says historically anti-doping agencies have relied predominately on drug tests to catch dopers, but that is no longer the case.

“We have now invested in our intelligence and investigation capability and, coupled with the advances in science, drug cheats are going to find it harder and harder to go under the radar.”

He says the proceedings stemming from this investigation have started and will be heard individually.

ENDS.

Background information

There are ten anti-doping rule violations and those which may apply to this investigation are:
• Use or attempt to use a prohibited substance or method
• Possess prohibited substances or methods
• Traffic or attempt to traffic a prohibited substance or method

Examples of the substances formerly available for purchase through Clenbuterol NZ:
S1 Anabolic Agents
Dianabol (modified form of testosterone)
Sustanon (blend of testosterone compounds)
Testosterone Enanthate (slow acting injectable form of testosterone)
Boldenone (EQ) (anabolic steroid developed for veterinary use)
Clenbuterol (favoured by athletes for lowering body fat without massive bulking)
S4 Hormone & Metabolic Modulators
Tamoxifen & Anastrozole (both substances are clinically used for the treatment of breast cancer)

All cases will be heard by the Sports Tribunal of New Zealand apart from rugby, whose athletes will face the New Zealand Rugby Judicial Committee.

The time frame of the violations means that different Sports Anti-Doping Rules may apply, depending on the timing of each individual transaction(s). The new World Anti-Doping Code came into force into 2015, which introduced harsher sanctions for some violations.

The hearings are expected to continue well into 2018, and all decisions will be posted on the DFSNZ website here.

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