Nirva Milord/USADA
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (September 19, 2005) – The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced today that Faruk Sahin of Fort Carson, Colo., an athlete in the sport of wrestling, withdrew his pending appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and accepted a two-year suspension and disqualification of his competitive results.
Sahin, 29, tested positive for the stimulant phentermine on April 10, 2004, the day of his first place finish in the 145.5-pound weight division in the Greco-Roman competition at the 2004 U.S. National Championships in Las Vegas. Phentermine is a prohibited substance in accordance with the USADA Protocol and the rules of the Fédération Internationale des Luttes Associées (FILA), the international federation for the sport of wrestling, both of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code.
In March 2005, following a full evidentiary hearing, an independent three-member arbitration panel from the American Arbitration Association (AAA)/North American Court of Arbitration for Court (CAS) determined that Sahin committed a doping violation and imposed a two-year suspension for his prohibited use of phentermine. He subsequently appealed that decision to CAS.
The AAA/CAS Panel decision remains in tact, except Sahin’s two-year suspension begins on April 30, 2004. Additionally, he forfeits all competitive results and winnings since April 10, 2004, the date of the test, including his first place finish at the 2004 National Championships. A copy of the panel decision is available in the results management section of the official USADA Web site (http://www.usantidoping.org).
USA Wrestling, the national governing body for the sport in the United States, will carry out the sanction.
USADA is responsible for the testing and results management process for athletes in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement. USADA is equally dedicated to preserving the integrity of sport through research initiatives and educational programs.
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