#Anti-Doping

ITA imposes two-year sanctions on nine Russia wrestlers

Thursday, April 27, 2023 - 09:44 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (April 27) -- The International Testing Agency (ITA), leading an independent anti-doping program for United World Wrestling (UWW), has successfully prosecuted nine Russian wrestlers for the use of prohibited substances based on data retrieved from the Moscow laboratory.

The cases are based on investigations conducted by WADA’s Intelligence & Investigations Department (WADA I&I) and by Professor Richard McLaren into allegations of systemic doping practices in Russian sport as well as Moscow Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) data retrieved by WADA I&I over time. The evidence was provided by WADA I&I to the ITA in 2021 and 2022 for further assessment. In particular, these investigations uncovered LIMS data indicative of the presence of banned substances in samples provided by the athletes in 2012.

The ITA reports that in line with the UWW Anti-Doping Rules (UWW ADR), the following Russian wrestlers have each admitted to the Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) and accepted a two-year period of Ineligibility for the Use of a Prohibited Substance (Article 2.2 of the applicable UWW ADR) and disqualification of all competitive results from 20 November 2012 until 20 November 2014. The athletes benefitted from “early admission” and partial backdating of their period of Ineligibility was granted (Article 10.9.2 of the applicable version of the UWW ADR):

Dariya LEKSINA – period of ineligibility until March 1, 2023
Elena VOSTRIKOVA – period of ineligibility until March 1, 2023
Margarita FATKULINA – period of ineligibility until November 18, 2023
Elena GETTA – period of ineligibility until November 18, 2023
Anzhela KATAEVA – period of ineligibility until November 18, 2023
Elena KULIKOVA – period of ineligibility until November 18, 2023
Alevtina LISITSINA – period of ineligibility until November 18, 2023
Anastasiya SHCHAVLINSKAYA – period of ineligibility until November 18, 2023

Athlete Aleksey SHCHEKOV did not admit to the ADRV and thus did not benefit from early admission reduction (Article 10.9.2 of the applicable UWW ADR). He was sanctioned with a 2-year period of ineligibility until 1 March 2024 and the disqualification of all competitive results from 6 April 2012 until 2 March 2022.

During the period of ineligibility, as per Article 10.14 of the UWW ADR, the athletes cannot participate in any capacity in any competition or any other activity either at the international or national level organized by any Signatory of the World Anti-Doping Code.

#WrestleBelgrade

Aitmukhan: From volunteer at Worlds to Kazakhstan's first world champ

Tuesday, September 19, 2023 - 15:31 By Vinay Siwach

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BELGRADE, Serbia (September 19) -- Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) was hoping to become Kazakhstan's first-ever Freestyle world champion when he reached the 65kg final at the World Championships in 2019. He failed after losing to Gazdhimurad RASHIDOV.

In that final, Rashidov took a bleeding timeout. A volunteer, Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ), ran out to clean the blood dropped on the mat. Little did Niyazbekov or Kazakhstan know that the tall volunteer would go on to achieve what Niyazbekov failed to.

Born in Kyzyltu, a village with only 600 people in the northern region of Kazakhstan, Aitmukhan became the central Asian country's first-ever world champion in Freestyle on Monday as he defeated Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) in the 92kg final in Belgrade, Serbia.

In a thrilling final, Aitmukhan made a comeback after being down 2-0. He scored a stepout and caution with 30 seconds left. His criteria lead was threatened by Nurmagomedov in the final second when he almost scored a pushout. But Aitmukhan pushed the Azerbaijan wrestler out of bounds and won 6-2.

"The final match was very intense and tough," Aitmukhan said. "I noticed that he was getting tired. I used that moment and snatched the victory. We work hard, but all the success comes from God."

This victory was after five other wrestlers from Kazakhstan had tried to win the elusive Freestyle gold in the country's wrestling history to check out another box. With a Freestyle world champion, Kazakhstan is now without a world champion only in Women's Wrestling.

Aitmukhan's gold medal was also the first for Kazakhstan at the World Championships since Mkhitar MANUKYAN's (KAZ) won the last one in 1999 in Greco-Roman.

"This victory is the biggest in my life," Aitmukhan said. "I’ve been working for it for so many years. I would like to dedicate this win to my country and to my grandmother, she would have been 81 years old today [Monday]. But she passed away 3 years ago. This victory means a lot to me."

Back in 2019, Aitmukhan was the fourth-placer at the World School Combat Games and later won bronze at the U15 Asian Championships. He competed at the U23 Asian Championships as a 17-year-old and won gold at 92kg. Four months later, he was at the U23 World Championships but lost to Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) in the first round and to Feyzulla AKTURK (TUR) in the bronze medal bout. Akturk also defeated him in the bronze medal bout at the 2023 Ibrahim Moustafa Ranking Series.

But as fate would have it, he would return to Astana in April this year, for the Asian Championships and enter the final. The 19-year-old finished with a silver medal against another teenager Arash YOSHIDA (JPN). He stepped on the top of the podium at the U23 Asian Championships before adding bronze at the Budapest Ranking Series. In an agonizing close U20 World Championships final in Amman in August, he finished with a silver medal.

The run in Belgrade saw him beat European champion Akturk 11-0 in the quarterfinals and returning bronze medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) 8-1 in the semifinals.

For a wrestler who began only in 2014, the success meant that he was on the path to achieving something historic. Ironically, he had no liking for the sport as well.

"My dad made me wrestle by force nine years ago," he said. "I didn’t want to train at all, by the he made me do that. And then I liked it. And now, 9 years later I am a world champion, the first one in Kazakh history. I think it’s not a bad result for a 19-year-old."

The losses at the Asian and U20 World Championships fueled Aitmukhan's effort to win the gold in Belgrade.

"In the Asian championships final and in U20 Worlds, there was that moment when I had to push myself. But that wasn’t enough," he said. "This time I felt the same during the match. I realized that if I didn’t do it now, I might not ever get this chance again. So, I tried my hardest and I did it."

Now that one goal is achieved, Rizabek will move to the Olympic weight class of 97kg. 

"We’ve decided that it’s the last world championships in this weight class, next year I’ll move up to the Olympic weight 97kg," he said. "I’ll wrestle for an Olympic spot. I will try to become an Olympic champion."