The doping scandal that overshadowed the final day of the equestrian events at the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong undeniably proved that lightening can strike the same place twice!
No one has forgotten the disqualification of Ludger Beerbaum and Cian O’Connor in Athens 2004 which robbed Germany and Ireland of team and individual gold medals respectively – when both their horses tested positive to banned substances. Of course, everyone was hopefully optimistic that riders/veterinarians would have duly noted that the most state-of-the-art drug testing laboratory on the planet is on-site right here at the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Sha Tin racetrack, adjacent to the Olympic stadium. But the equestrian world was rocked once again yesterday when it was announced that four horses had tested positive to the same prohibited substance, capsaicin (a derivative of the chilli-pepper plant), for which the testing technology has apparently only been available for the past couple of years.
The horses are Chupa Chup/Bernardo Alves (Brazil), Cöster/Christian Ahlmann (Germany), Latinus/Denis Lynch (Ireland), and Camiro/Tony Andre Hansen (Norway). Assuming the result of the B-samples are also positive, Norway will be stripped of their team bronze medal, which will be awarded to fourth-placed Switzerland.
Paul Harrington, an associate member of the FEI’s Veterinary Committee, who attended a hastily convened press conference yesterday, explained that capsaicin is prohibited due to its hypersensitizing properties, and also as a ‘class A’ medication for pain relief. He also confirmed that it is only used topically (externally).
FEI Secretary General Alex McLin
Also present at the press conference, FEI Secretary General Alex McLin said that in April 2008 the FEI changed the doping rules to allow provisional suspensions of riders to take immediate effect, rather than waiting until after a competition is over. Either way, unless the FEI can take steps to categorically stamp out the use of prohibited substances, any post-competitive testing is akin to locking the stable door after the horse has bolted!
Certainly, a great many issues need to be addressed, not least the fact that the FEI undertook to test only one horse from each medal-winning team instead of all four! (Three in the case of some teams – including the team silver medalists, Canada.) Essentially, this provides a 75 percent (or 66 percent) opening per team to escape a positive drug test.
It was pointed out when we arrived in Sha Tin that the majority of teams had submitted themselves for elective drug testing prior to the opening day. But what does this prove? Absolutely nothing? All it means is that a horse was clean at the time of testing and, also, a veterinarian from the Hong Kong Jockey Club pointed out that technology doesn’t allow for blanket testing of prohibited substances.
A couple of hours after the FEI released its official statement, the Irish equestrian contingent, including Chef d’Equipe Robert Splaine, the offending rider, Denis Lynch, and team vet Damian Swaile surrendered themselves for questioning, undoubtedly in the hope of securing a degree of damage control. (Undoubtedly mindful of the death threats that shadowed Cian O’Connor for nearly two years following his doping disgrace post-Athens.) However, the consensus among the many media representatives who attended the Irish press conference which was delivered with heartfelt sincerity, especially Lynch’s emotional “I’m shattered,” response to the FEI suspension, exacerbated the verdict that they were guilty of absolute stupidity. Veterinarian Swaile entered a jar of Equiblok medication into evidence, highlighting a message on the label that contra-indicated a positive doping test! Hmmm! Is every Rolex watch you can buy in Hong Kong genuine?
In fact, Swaile also went on to say that Lynch has been using this same product on his horse’s back for many months as part of his warm-up regime, and not once has Latinus tested positive to the presence of capsaicin. The media were even invited to sample the product themselves following Swaile’s comment that “If anyone bought this product expecting it to provide pain relief or hypersensitivity, they were robbed,” and added that he had smeared it on the back of his own hand to no ill effect. One must therefore question why Lynch has been using a product that apparently serves no purpose whatsoever. Also, did the product jar brought to the press conference contain the original product?
Evidence and explanations notwithstanding, as team veterinarian it was Swaile’s responsibility to determine whether Lynch had been administering any product whatsoever, in any way shape or form, to his horse prior and during the Olympic Games. And, as a veterinary expert, he should have familiarized himself with the complete list of banned substances. However, he referred the media rather condescendingly to the FEI guidelines the he suggested were a generalization of prohibitions rather than a specific list. Once again, as a veterinary expert, is it not his within his mandate to communicate his interpretation of the guidelines to both the rider(s) and the Chef d’Equipe to ensure that no one administers a banned substance out of ignorance – which is precisely what the Irish are claiming happened in Denis Lynch’s case.
Ignorance or stupidity, the buck stops with the rider, as per the FEI’s regulations, so Lynch is guilty regardless, and is obviously finding this fact a bitter pill (hopefully not a banned medication!) difficult to swallow. He even confided that he “begged the FEI” to allow him to compete; a plea that was denied by the FEI Tribunal that upheld his suspension.
Not wishing to spotlight the Irish here – who were the only team that attempted to offer any explanation, the fact remains that four riders in total were suspended. The German Federation took immediate steps and apparently banished Christian Ahlmann from Sha Tin yesterday, so the rider was unavailable for comment, while the whereabouts of Bernardo Alves and Tony Andre Hansen (who it was later learned shares the same trainer as Cian O’Connor…!!!) remained unknown.
A precise timeline of the testing procedure was provided by the FEI as follows:
1. Samples received by the laboratory on August 18 (Ahlmann/Cöster) and August 19 (others).
2. Positive A result reported to FEI on August 20 (Ahlmann/Cöster) and August 21 (others).
3. B sample analysis process to commence August 22 (Ahlmann/Cöster) and August 23 (others).
4. B sample results to be reported within 7 days (August 30 latest). (It was indicated by FEI Secretary General Alex McLin that this result may well be announced as early as today or tomorrow for Ahlmann, and 24 hours later for the others.)
5. A hearing to be held within the following week (by September 8).
6. The Tribunal (per its own targets) to issue a decision no later than 28 days from hearing or last submissions, whichever occurs last (latest by first week of October).
Naturally, the results of the B sample will be eagerly awaited, although the Irish have effectively already pleaded guilty by association with an illegal product.
Of particular concern, according to FEI Vice President Sven Holmberg, is that the same prohibited substance, capsaicin, was used by all four suspended riders, deliberately or inadvertently, for either pain relief or for hypersensitizing.
Yesterday was a tragic day for our sport, highlighted by the fact that reporting on a brilliant individual showjumping final, that resulted in the first equestrian gold medal for Canada since Michel Vaillancourt in 1968, was overshadowed by another serious doping scandal. Even the approaching force 9/10 typhoon, scheduled to make a direct hit on Hong Kong later this afternoon (Friday) was temporarily forgotten, even though the horse flights were all cancelled and media warned that it may take several days to leave with the backlog of passengers at the international airport which was closed by 9:00 a.m. this morning!!!
Please be advised that although the equestrian events have been completed, this “blog” will be maintained until the outcome of the doping scandal is known, so continue referred to this site for regular updates.
Watch this spae …
