IPC Enforces Three-Year Suspension on Portuguese Para-Powerlifter Simone Fragoso for Anti-Doping Violation
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Bonn (Germany), Dec 20 (NationPress) The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has officially announced a three-year suspension for Simone Fragoso, a Para-powerlifting athlete from Portugal, due to a violation of the anti-doping rule (ADRV) as outlined in the IPC Anti-Doping Code. This infringement was detected during a pre-Paralympic Games examination conducted in August of this year.
Fragoso produced an adverse analytical finding (AAF), revealing the presence of metabolites from a banned substance in a urine sample collected outside of competition on August 31, 2024. This was part of the IPC’s testing program leading up to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, as disclosed by the IPC in a statement released on Friday.
The substance identified was stanozolol, an anabolic steroid that gained notoriety when Jamaican-born Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson tested positive during the Seoul Olympics in 1988—one of the most infamous doping incidents in athletics history. Stanozolol is classified under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2024 Prohibited List as part of class S.1.1 (Anabolic Androgenic Steroids).
On September 3, 2024, the athlete was provisionally suspended by the IPC while her case was being evaluated.
Simone Fragoso acknowledged her violation of the anti-doping regulations and accepted the implications set forth by the IPC. Consequently, she will be barred from competing and engaging in any sporting activities (except for approved anti-doping education or rehabilitation programs) for a duration of three years, effective from September 3, 2024, until September 2, 2027.
All results achieved by Fragoso from the date of the urine sample collection until the initiation of her provisional suspension will be invalidated, leading to the forfeiture of any medals, points, and prizes.
Fragoso holds the distinction of being Portugal's first and only Para-powerlifter, transitioning from swimming to powerlifting, and she competes in the women’s category up to 41kg.
