Weightlifter Receives Sanction

Sport Integrity Australia acknowledges the decision of the Australian Weightlifting Federation to impose a 12-year ban on athlete Andrew Ciancio for the Presence of a metabolite of a Prohibited Substance and Use of a Prohibited Substance. 

Mr Ciancio, an athlete in the sport of weightlifting, returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) from an Out-of-Competition doping control test on 5 September 2022. 

Mr Ciancio’s sample was analysed at the Australian Sports Drug Testing Laboratory, part of the National Measurement Institute, and the presence of 3α-hydroxy-2α-methyl-5α-androstan-17-one (metabolite of Drostanolone) was detected.

The substance Drostanolone is listed under Class S1.1 Anabolic Agents (Anabolic Androgenic Steroids) under the World Anti-Doping Code – International Standard – Prohibited List – 2022 (Prohibited List 2022). The substance Drostanolone is a Non-Specified Substance and is prohibited at all times.  

It was determined that on and/or before 5 September 2022 Mr Ciancio Used a Prohibited Substance, namely Drostanolone.

Mr Ciancio’s Anti-Doping Rule Violations in relation to his doping control test on 5 September 2022 were considered his ‘second violation’ within a ten-year period.

The Australian Weightlifting Federation thereby imposed a 12-year ban on Mr Ciancio commencing on 5 September 2022. 

Mr Ciancio is ineligible to participate in any sports that have adopted a World Anti-Doping Code compliant anti-doping policy until 5 September 2034. He is also not permitted to compete in a non-Signatory professional league or Event organised by a non-Signatory International Event organisation or a non-Signatory national-level event organisation. 

Weightlifter receives sanction

Sport Integrity Australia acknowledges the decision of Australian Weightlifting Federation Ltd (AWF)  to impose an additional four-year ban on athlete Brendan Southwick for breaching his period of ineligibility.