EHF Court of Appeal releases decision in case of Russian doping violations

As a result of positive doping tests at the Women’s 19 EHF EURO in Slovenia (7 July to 6 August 2017), the EHF Court of Handball suspended the players Antonina Skorobogatchenko, Maria Duvakina and Mariia Dudina from the silver-medal-winning Russian team for a period of 20 months.

The Russian team was subsequently also stripped of its silver medal because more than two players were found to have had positive doping tests.

Now as a result of appeals by the players, the EHF Court of Appeal has partially upheld the decision of the EHF Court of Handball, also deciding to reduce the period of suspension to 15 months.

In reaching its decision to revise the period of suspension, the Court of Appeal took into account the young age of the athletes and found that the body of the first instance should have placed a stronger emphasis on this crucial element.

Given that the period of suspension has already been reduced by three months by the EHF Anti-doping Unit because of the substantial assistance provided by the players to Russian law enforcement authorities, a decision upheld by the Court of Appeal, the players will now serve a 12-month period of suspension.

Antonina Skorobogatchenko will now be eligible to play as of 1 August 2018 and , Maria Duvakina and Mariia Dudina from 4 August 2018.

Media enquiries:

JJ Rowland
Head of EHF Media and Communications
Tel. +43 1 80151 167 / +43  +43 664 887 36594
Email: rowland@eurohandball.com