Cricketer Tom Wood eligible to return to sport following a six-month ban
Professional cricket player Tom Wood received a six month ban from all sport following a first Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) for the presence of a Prohibited Substance in his urine Sample.
On 11 September 2021 UKAD collected an Out-of-Competition urine Sample from Mr Wood whilst at his club. This was the first time Mr Wood had been tested.
Analysis of Mr Wood’s A Sample returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for terbutaline.
Terbutaline is a Beta-2-Agonist and is banned at all times under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.
In October 2021, Mr Wood was informed of the AAF. He alleged that he suffered with asthma and used a terbutaline inhaler to treat his condition. These allegations were supported by medical evidence provided by Mr Wood. However, at the time of Sample collection Mr Wood did not have a TUE in place for terbutaline. On 3 November 2021 he made an application to UKAD for a retroactive TUE, which was rejected by the UKAD TUE Fairness Review Panel.
On 8 February 2022 Mr Wood was Provisionally Suspended from sport and was later charged by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) with two Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs), under the Anti-Doping Rules (ADR) of the ECB, for Presence of a Prohibited Substance in his Sample (under ADR article 2.1) and Use of a Prohibited Substance (under ADR article 2.2).
Mr Wood’s case was heard before the National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) on 8 June 2022.
The NADP found that Mr Wood was at Fault for failing to apply for a TUE in advance of being tested. In all the circumstances, the NADP decided that a six month ban from all sport was appropriate.
The period of Ineligibility was deemed to have commenced on 8 January 2022 and expired at 23:59 on 7 July 2022.
UKAD’s Chief Executive, Jane Rumble, said: “If an athlete requires the use of an inhaler or any kind of medication, which may feature prohibited ingredients, then it is their sole responsibility to ensure they have a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) in place when required. Athletes are regularly reminded of the importance of checking their medication and applying for a TUE when needed throughout their careers. The rules are simple and clear on these matters.
“Medications prescribed by a doctor or bought directly over the counter may contain Prohibited Substances. It is an athlete’s responsibility to check their medication before using it, even if they have used it before, which they can do via the Global DRO website. Athletes can also use our TUE Wizard on the UKAD website to determine whether, when and how to apply for a TUE.”
The original press release can be found here : https://www.ukad.org.uk/news/cricketer-tom-wood-eligible-return-sport-following-six-month-ban
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