The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) banned Thiago Braz, a Brazilian pole vaulter who won gold at the 2016 Olympics, for 16 months for doping, the organization announced Tuesday. Braz is expected to miss the 2024 Paris Games.
The 30-year-old set the men’s Olympic record in pole vault at 6.03 meters when he won gold at the 2016 games in his home country. He also won a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
According to the AIU, Braz said he consumed sports supplements containing ostarine glucuronide, a banned substance produced during the metabolism of ostarine, which is used to enhance muscle growth and athletic performance.
Braz said he did not knowingly use ostarine as he said he was given the supplements by his sports nutritionist to improve his health, according to the AIU.
“The athlete further contended that he had been assured by the nutritionist that the relevant research of the pharmacies involved had been undertaken and had also been assured that ‘none of the supplements that were being provided to him contained any substances banned by WADA (the World Anti-Doping Agency),’” the AIU said in a release.
The AIU said a majority of a panel reviewing the case determined Braz was not at significant fault or negligence.
The AIU said it would consider appealing the 16-month ban after it previously sought a four-year sanction for Braz, contending he was “reckless” and acted with “indirect intent” because he “manifestly disregarded” the risk involved in using supplements sourced from compound pharmacies in Brazil.
Braz — who will be banned from competition until November, per the AIU — has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
His positive test occurred in July at the Bauhaus Galen Diamond League meeting in Stockholm ahead of the world championships.
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