The two year suspension of the Italian athlete Roberto La Barbera was last week upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following an earlier appeal by the athlete to have the Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) over turned.

On the 6th June 2010 during the IWAS Athletics European Open Championship in Stadskanaal, Netherlands the athlete provided a urine sample that was found to contain Stanozolol, an Anabolic Androgenic. The substance is listed in the WADA 2010 Prohibited List.

The initial hearing between the athlete and IWAS occurred in September and October 2010, where the IWAS Anti-Doping Committee confirmed that a doping offence occurred. These finding was ratified by the IWAS Executive Management Committee on behalf of the IWAS Executive Board. 

In November 2010 that athlete file with CAS, a statement of appeal against the decision of the IWAS Anti-Doping Committee.

The CAS hearing took place in March 2011 attended by both parties, with two issues raised by the athlete to oppose the original findings.

The final outcome from the Court of Arbitration for Sports hearing was received on the 2nd of May 2011 and affirmed the original decision issued by the IWAS tribunal.  The appeal by the athlete was dismissed.

As such the athlete remains ineligible to compete from the start date 22 July 2010 until 22 July 2012.