The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issued a ruling on March 15, 2022, concerning three Iraqi weightlifters—Ahmed Al-Hussein, Salwan Jasim Abbood Alaifuri, and Safaa Rashid Al-Jumaili—who tested positive for higenamine, a prohibited substance under the 2020 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List. The violations occurred during competitions in Iran and the UAE in February 2020. The athletes did not dispute the presence of higenamine in their samples but contested the severity of the sanctions, arguing they were unaware the supplement they consumed contained the banned substance. The cases were consolidated due to shared circumstances, with the sole arbitrator, Paul David QC, overseeing the proceedings.
The panel confirmed the athletes violated Article 2.1 of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Anti-Doping Rules, emphasizing the strict liability principle, which holds athletes responsible for any prohibited substances in their bodies regardless of intent. The athletes claimed the higenamine came from a pre-workout supplement called Impact Igniter or ALLMAX Impact, which they purchased without understanding its contents due to language barriers and lack of anti-doping education. The panel acknowledged these mitigating factors but found the athletes failed to exercise sufficient caution, particularly given their professional status.
The presumptive sanction for a first-time violation involving a specified substance like higenamine is a two-year ineligibility period under Article 10.2.2 of the IWF Anti-Doping Rules. However, the athletes sought reduced sanctions under the "no significant fault" defense (Article 10.5.1.1), arguing their negligence was minor. The panel assessed their degree of fault, considering their reliance on teammates and salespersons, lack of English proficiency, and limited access to anti-doping resources. While the panel rejected the "no fault" defense (Article 10.4), it accepted that their fault was not significant enough to warrant the full two-year penalty.
Ultimately, Al-Hussein, a first-time offender, received a 20-month ineligibility period, while Alaifuri and Al-Jumaili, who had prior violations, received 40 months each. The sanctions were backdated to the sample collection dates (February 2020), and all competitive results from that period were disqualified, including forfeited medals and prizes. The decision highlighted the challenges of enforcing anti-doping regulations when athletes face language barriers and inadequate support systems but reaffirmed the importance of strict liability to maintain fairness in sports. The ruling balanced accountability with fairness, recognizing the athletes' circumstances while upholding the integrity of anti-doping rules. The case underscores the need for better athlete education and stricter supplement regulation to prevent similar violations in the future.