Petteri Lindblom, legal director of the Finnish Center for Sports Ethics, says that an athlete suspected of doping should know about it well in advance before it becomes public.
of Robert Helenius manager Markus Sundman told Urheilu last weekend that the Finnish boxer would have heard about the inconclusiveness of his doping sample via e-mail just a few hours before the information became public.
Boxing promoter Matchroom Boxing announced late on Friday evening that deviations were found in the Finn’s doping sample, which indicate a doping finding. According to the promoter, it was a voluntary doping test. According to Urheilu, the substance that Helenius is suspected of is an estrogen blocker.
Helenius himself also said in an interview with Urheilu that he would have liked to hear about it earlier.
– It’s not pleasant. I would probably have liked to have received that information earlier before it was published. But…
– I do not know. What do they see as right? They probably aren’t interested in a little Finnish boxer.
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Legal director of the Finnish Sports Ethics Center (Suek). Petteri Lindblom says that such a fast schedule is ungrateful from an athlete’s point of view.
– I think it is unreasonable. Especially when it is said that the information was sent at night. It would even be set during the day.
It is only a matter of doubt at this point. Helenius has not been sentenced to disciplinary sanctions for a doping violation, and the content of his sample has not yet been interpreted as a doping violation in the legal sense of the matter. Helenius has vehemently rejected claims that he used any banned substance on purpose.
The athlete must know in good time
Lindblom says that in terms of the athlete’s legal protection, it would be good for the suspected athlete to receive the information in good time.
– He must have time to prepare. We know how fast media is today. You’re suddenly in trouble if you don’t even know what the issue is.
Professional boxing activities are not included The World Anti-Doping Code i.e. to Wada’s activities. Professional boxing is part of the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association Vada (The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association).
– In the global anti-doping regulations, the information is announced in such a way that the athlete will definitely hear about it before anything is said about it publicly, says Lindblom.
Lindblom says that in Finland doping cases are usually only published when the decisions are final.
– In Finland, people sometimes wonder that this incident was already a month ago, but we are only hearing about it now. This is something made possible by the anti-doping regulations. In Finland, it has been decided that decisions should not be made before the decisions are final.
Lindblom adds that the international anti-doping regulations also allow quick exits.
– For example, at the Olympics, it is announced immediately, because otherwise we wonder if the athlete hasn’t appeared on the line. Even in that case, the rule is that the athlete must be informed that it will be published.
According to Lindblom, there is no exact regulation as to when the information must reach the athlete. In any case, Helenius found out about it before it became public.
– I personally think that it is necessary to ensure that the information is received in sufficient time. I can’t say about the classes, Lindblom is speaking on a general level.
Next, in Helenius’ case, the B sample of the doping test will be analyzed, which will give the final result. There is no information on the exact schedule of the progress of the case.