Decision in Doping Case: 2018 IMMAF – WMMAA World Championships

Russian athlete Grigoriy Ponomarev has been found guilty of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation for the presence of Dehydrochloromethyltestosterone LTM (DHCMT-LTM) during the 2018 IMMAF – WMMAA Unified World Championships of Amateur MMA.

A period of ineligibility has been imposed of two years by the unified international governing body, with Ponomarev’s match results disqualified and his Silver Medal in the Men’s Senior Super Heavy Weight category rescinded.

No appeal has been filed against this decision. IMMAF – WMMAA carries out anti-doping testing at all its competitions in compliance with the World Anti-doping Code, despite it not being recognized as a signatory.

Following his final bout of the 2018  IMMAF-WMMAA World Championships on 17^th November 2018, Silver Medalist Ponomarev underwent a no-notice in-competition doping control test, which was analysed at a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory.  The presence of the following Prohibited Substance was identified, for which Ponomarev was unable to provide a Therapeutic Use Exemption: S1 Anabolic Agents, Anabolic Androgenic Steroids, a, Exogenous Dehydrochloromethyltestosterone LTM (DHCMT-LTM) i.e. 4-chloro-18-nor-17b hydroxy methyl, 17a-methyl-5a-androst-13-en-3a-ol.

On 16^th January 2019, IMMAF issued a ‘Notification of an Adverse Analytical Finding’. Ponomarev has not offered any evidence by way of explanation for the result of his A Sample finding and waived the B Sample analysis, thus admitting guilt.

Due to his prompt admission, IMMAF- WMMAA has exercised its discretion to reduce the period of ineligibility from four to two years, subject to the following conditions:

• Disqualification of results obtained at the 2018 World Championships and the forfeiture of all medals, points and prizes.
• Suspension of membership to the IMMAF and its national member organisations for the period of this sanction.
• Recognition of the sanction by other sports and organisations.

Ponomarev’s suspension commences from the date of sample collection (17^th November 2018) and will conclude on midnight of 16^th November 2020.  During this period of ineligibility, Mr Ponomarev shall remain subject to testing, as a condition of eligibility to return to the sport.  He may return to train with a team or use the facilities of a club or other member organisation during the final two months of his suspension period.

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