Andrej Martin Banned 14 Months for Doping Violation

Andrej Martin has been hit with a 14-month ban for a doping violation.

Former world No. 93 Martin tested positive for SARM S-22, a banned anabolic agent, after a drug test at the Bratislava Open in June 2022. The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced Martin’s ban today.

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Subsequent analysis of the sample found presence of SARM S-22, an anabolic agent banned at all times under Section S1.2 (Other Anabolic Agents) of the 2022 WADA Prohibited List. In accordance with the TADP, the period of ineligibility for a player’s first doping offense is up to four years, unless they can establish that the violation was not intentional, in which case the period of Ineligibility will be up to two years.

The 33-year-old Martin did not deny SARM S-22 was in his system, but said he ingested the substance after mistakenly drinking from a teammate’s water bottle.

Martin claims he played in a floorball tournament between June 3-6th, 2022 and that the presence of the substance was caused by mistakenly drinking from a teammate’s water bottle, identical in appearance to his own, during the floorball tournament.

During the hearing, Martin’s floorball teammate admitted that he added ostarine drops (another name for SARM S-22) to his water bottle. The Independent Tribunal considered Martin’s statement to be plausible and ruled that the player acted with No Significant Fault or Negligence.

The Independent Tribunal found that Martin had not knowingly ingested the banned substance, though he could not establish No Fault entirely. Under the TADP, the burden of responsibility for what players ingest is their own, and No Fault is only granted in exceptional circumstances.

The Tribunal decided a 14-month suspension was appropriate, and all of Martin’s results from the date of the positive test will be disqualified.

Martin’s ban ends on June 5, 2024.

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