Equestrian Canada (EC) has learned of the reasoned rulings by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the Arbitral Award concerning Nicole Walker, EC and The Pan American Sports Organization.
EC is firmly committed to clean sport and recognizes the breach in the Panam Sports Anti-Doping Rules during the Lima 2019 Pan American Games. We also believe in fully supporting our athletes through the execution of those rules with fairness and technical precision.
EC is pleased that the CAS Panel accepted that Nicole did not ingest benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, intentionally or unintentionally, at any relevant time on or prior to Aug. 7, 2019. Furthermore, the Panel accepted that the Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF), which indicated the presence of a prohibited substance, “was the result, and only the result of, the unintentional ingestion of cocaine… as a result of her using a teabag containing cocaine which she took from the breakfast service area of the Los Incas Lima Hotel.”
However, EC is extremely disappointed that despite the Panel’s recognition of Nicole’s integrity and commitment to clean sport, her affected results at Lima 2019 were not reinstated, resulting in the Canadian Show Jumping Team remaining disqualified from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
EC has stood by Nicole throughout the discipline and appeals process and together, we will explore the option of appealing the CAS decision to the Swiss Federal Tribunal in Lausanne, SUI.
Source: Press Release
EC is firmly committed to clean sport and recognizes the breach in the Panam Sports Anti-Doping Rules during the Lima 2019 Pan American Games. We also believe in fully supporting our athletes through the execution of those rules with fairness and technical precision.
EC is pleased that the CAS Panel accepted that Nicole did not ingest benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, intentionally or unintentionally, at any relevant time on or prior to Aug. 7, 2019. Furthermore, the Panel accepted that the Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF), which indicated the presence of a prohibited substance, “was the result, and only the result of, the unintentional ingestion of cocaine… as a result of her using a teabag containing cocaine which she took from the breakfast service area of the Los Incas Lima Hotel.”
However, EC is extremely disappointed that despite the Panel’s recognition of Nicole’s integrity and commitment to clean sport, her affected results at Lima 2019 were not reinstated, resulting in the Canadian Show Jumping Team remaining disqualified from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
EC has stood by Nicole throughout the discipline and appeals process and together, we will explore the option of appealing the CAS decision to the Swiss Federal Tribunal in Lausanne, SUI.
Source: Press Release