The International Wheelchair & Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) has announced that the Italian Athlete Roberto La Barbera has been suspended for two years for an Anti-Doping Rule Violation.

Roberto La Barbera returned an adverse analytical finding for Stanozolol an Anabolic Androgenic Steroid (AAS)(Class S1A) in a urine sample provided on the 6th June 2010 during the IWAS Athletics European Open Championship in Stadskanaal in the Netherlands

Such substances are included in the 2010 Prohibited List and consequently under the IWAS Anti-Doping Code, which has adopted the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC).

In accordance to the IWAS Anti-Doping Code, Roberto La Barbera will serve a two year suspension commencing as from the date of the provisional suspension. As such the athlete is declared ineligible from 22 July 2010 until 22 July 2012. Furthermore the athlete is also Automatically Disqualified of his individual results obtained in the IWAS Athletics European Open Championships competition, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes won.

In addition Roberto La Barbera will receive disqualification of all competition results including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes obtained subsequent to the Sample collection on 6th June 2010.

As a signatory of the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC), IWAS remains committed to a doping free sporting environment at all levels. IWAS, together with the IPC, all International Federations and our Member Nations, established the IWAS Anti-Doping Code to prevent in the spirit of fair play, doping in sport for Paralympic athletes. The IWAS Anti-Doping Code is in conformity with the general principles of the WADC.