Clever Consult wins another Meldonium case

Clever Consult helped young biathlete Valeria Zhabbarova to prove her innocence and avoid ineligibility for a positive doping test for meldonium

The athlete turned to Clever Consult for legal assistance after being notified by the RUSADA (Russian Anti-Doping Agency) of a positive doping test for meldonium. Convinced of her innocence, however, she did not know how the prohibited substance has entered her body.

“After learning about the low concentration of meldonium in the athlete's sample and with a “clean” sample taken shortly before, we immediately suspected food contamination,” said Anna Antseliovich, the Head of the Sports Practice of Clever Consult.

In order to confirm this theory, a scientific experiment was conducted – studies for meldonium determination in meat and milk of farm animals after use of the veterinary drug Emidonol. With previous studies on milk conducted and published in leading scientific journals, a position proving the possibility of a positive doping test for meldonium after the consumption of contaminated food was prepared.

The RUSADA Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee considered that the biathlete's guilt of violating anti-doping rules was minimal and sanctioned her with a warning, i.e. without a period of ineligibility.

We congratulate Valeria and her family! We wish her many more sports victories on the track!