Para biathlon: definitive suspension for Nikolay Polukhin
The International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) independent Anti-Doping Tribunal has found that visually impaired para cross-country skier and para biathlete Nikolay Polukhin committed an anti-doping rule violation at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. As a result, his individual results from the event (including one gold and two silver medals) were disqualified.
The charges stem from investigations by the IPC into evidence provided by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) regarding the state-sponsored doping programme in Russian sport between (at least) 2012 and 2015. During this period, laboratories in Moscow and Sochi used a “positive disappearance method” to conceal presumed negative test results and, at the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, exchanged “dirty” urine samples for “clean” urine taken from athletes for this purpose.
On 7 March 2023, the IPC charged the athlete with the use of a prohibited method (specifically urine substitution adulteration) in violation of Article 2.2 of the 2011 IPC Anti-Doping Code. The athlete admitted using trimetazidine out-of-competition in February 2014 (which was permitted at the time), but denied any knowledge of or involvement in a sample swap in March 2014. A hearing was held before the IPC Independent Doping Tribunal.
The Independent Tribunal upheld the charge of an anti-doping rule violation. As the violation occurred during the Games, the rules required the Independent Tribunal to determine the consequences of the violation in relation to the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games only. All other consequences of the violation (including the applicable period of Ineligibility) will be determined in due course by the FIS and the IBU.
The Independent Tribunal found that the athlete’s conduct during the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games was “particularly serious” and “significantly undermined the integrity of the event “. In accordance with Articles 9 and 10.1 of the 2011 IPC Anti-Doping Code, the Independent Tribunal annulled all of the athlete’s individual results from Sochi 2014. As a result, the athlete loses his gold medal in the 15km para biathlon, his silver medal in the 7.5km para biathlon and his silver medal in the 12.5km para biathlon.
The athlete initially appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but the appeal was withdrawn in March 2025 as the athlete had not paid the advance costs.
[IPC press release]
