The Austrian Anti-Doping Legal Committee announced today that 20-year-old Sebastian Steffan has tested positive for heptaminol, an amino alcohol classified as a vasoconstrictor. The substance is included in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) list of prohibited substances.
In response, Steffan has received a 12-month ban for the failed test, with the swimmer having 4 weeks to appeal the punishment. No details have been released as to the date of the positive test. (AP)
Steffan earned 4 gold medals at the Austrian National Championships this past summer. Internationally, he took home gold in the 200m IM at the inaugural European Games back in 2015 in Baku.
Per the statement on the Austrian Swimming Federation’s website, OSV President Arno Pajek states, “In terms of doping, the OSV has a zero tolerance limit, so we suspended the athlete with immediate effect. In addition to the ban, we will also discuss further possible measures in the course of an internal disciplinary procedure.”
Below is the Austrian anti-doping commission’s release:
If heptaminol sounds familiar, it may be reminding you of how French champion Fred Bousquet tested positive for the substance back in 2010. At the time, Bousquet had been suffering from inflamed hemorrhoids and had been managing his condition successfully for 8 years using a fully approved medicine, but used an over-the-counter cream when away at a meet and it was absorbed into his bloodstream.
Updated since original publishing.