U.S. WRESTLER FARUK SAHIN SUSPENDED FOR TWO YEARS FOR DOPING

Submitted by: E.Goldman/Boxing & Wrestling Editor

Not all sports organizations are putting on the charade which Major League Baseball is currently doing when it comes to the fight against doping. USA Wrestling is one which takes it quite seriously, and a decision announced Thursday by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) underscores that fact.

Faruk Sahin, who won the 2004 U.S. National Championships in Greco-Roman wrestling at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., and became a favorite to make the U.S. Olympic Team at that weight, tested positive for the banned stimulant known as phentermine in his post-match doping test, conducted by USADA. Phentermine is a prescription medication used to assist those who need medical help in weight loss by decreasing one’s appetite. It is on the prohibited list of the World Anti-Doping Code issued by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

For this offense, Sahin was stripped of his title, lost a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get a spot on the Olympic Team and wrestle for a medal, and now has been suspended for two years. That is the definition of a dope.

Here is the announcement by USADA about this:

U.S. WRESTLER RECEIVES TWO-YEAR SUSPENSION FOR DOPING VIOLATION

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 24, 2005)

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced today the decision by an independent three-member arbitration panel from the American Arbitration Association (AAA)/North American Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to impose a two-year suspension on Faruk Sahin of Fort Carson, Colo., an athlete in the sport of wrestling, for a first-time doping violation.

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 under the rules of the FÃƒ,©dÃƒ,©ration Internationale des Luttes AssociÃƒ,©es (FILA), the international federation for the sport of wrestling, which has adopted the World Anti-Doping (WADA) Code and WADA’s Prohibited List.

Following the full evidentiary hearing, the AAA/CAS panel imposed a two-year suspension, effective May 18, 2004, the date Sahin accepted and began serving his provisional suspension. Sahin did not challenge the collection or the UCLA Laboratory’s finding of phentermine in his urine sample. As a result of his positive test, he is disqualified from the 2004 National Championships, and forfeits all competitive results and winnings since April 10, 2004, the date of the test. Sahin’s suspension will end on May 17, 2006.

USA Wrestling, the national governing body for the sport in the United States, will carry out the sanction.

USADA is responsible for managing 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.

A copy of the AAA/CAS decision is available in the results management section of the official USADA Web site (http://www.usantidoping.org/).