Miro Aaltonen said that he had used a substance for entertainment purposes, which does not improve performance, but is prohibited in sports.
Finnish ice hockey player Miro Aaltonen was suspended on Friday due to a suspected doping violation.
The Swiss Anti-Doping Office suspects the Finnish representative of EHC Kloten of foul play and will provide more information on the matter later. Aaltonen, who won Olympic gold in Leijon three years ago, commented on the matter to STT on Friday.
Aaltonen said that he went to a night club during the game break and “apparently used the substance for entertainment purposes”. He did not specify the name of the substance. However, according to Aaltonen, it does not improve performance, but is prohibited in sports.
Suek’s medical expert Pekka Rauhalan according to the prohibited substances usually used for recreational purposes are cocaine, ecstasy, heroin and cannabinoids.
The World Anti-Doping Agency Wada defined these four substances as intoxicants in the 2021 reform of anti-doping regulations.
– If they have been used outside the competition and there has been no benefit to the performance, it is defined that they have been used as an intoxicant and for entertainment purposes. It affects what kind of possible punishment a person will get for a doping violation, Rauhala tells Urheilu.
An athlete can get away with a three-month suspension if he can prove that he consumed an intoxicating substance outside of competition, and it is not related to sports performance. The collar can also be shorter.
– If a person completes a substance abuse treatment program that is approved by the local anti-doping organization, it can shorten the ban to one month, Suek’s legal representative Petteri Lindblom says.
Aaltonen told STT on Friday that he was seeking professional help for his situation.
The new rule also received criticism
Out of the four substances defined by Wada, there used to be harder pannas.
For example, a football player Roman Eremenko was once banned for two years for cocaine. In 2021, new policies were applied to the multiple Finnish billiards champion To Kim Laaksonwho got cocaine a three-month ban.
According to Suek Lindblom, the current anti-doping regulations have also received criticism. For example, for doping substances considered to be harder, a temporary suspension must be ordered, but for milder ones, it is not mandatory, and it does not usually happen.
Among intoxicants, for example, cocaine is considered a harder substance and cannabis is not.
– If a person applies for treatment and is ordered to a temporary suspension, he may not have time to undergo treatment until the month’s suspension from the completed substance abuse treatment is completed.
According to Lindblom, there are one to two cases in Finland each year related to recreational use.
– Often, unfortunately, athletes from perhaps a slightly different culture come to Finland, who may not even always know the regulations that well.