Term of punishment of Azerbaijani cyclist who failed doping test disclosed

Baku. 23 May. REPORT.AZ/ The International Union of Cyclists (UCI) made public its decision in connection with member of the Azerbaijani elite national team and continental team Synergy Baku Maxim Averin who tested positive for meldonium.

Report informs citing the press service of Azerbaijan Cycling Federation (ACF), 31-year-old athlete was suspended from participation in all competitions held under the auspices of the UCI for a period of 15 months. The punishment period is calculated from the moment when Maxim underwent a surgical operation, that is, starting from December 2016 and will end at the end of March 2018.

Notably, on March 10 of this year, during the one-day competition "Istiran Spring Trophy" in Croatia, the analysis taken from Maxim Averin showed a positive result, therefore, an investigation was launched by the UCI and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to determine the purpose for which the athlete used meldonium. As a result of the investigation, it turned out that Maxim Averin, who underwent surgery on the shoulder in December last year, used this drug on the recommendation of a doctor and this in no way serves to improve sports achievements.

The UCI, which considered the imprudent use of prohibited meldonia as a fact mitigating circumstance, avoided the long-term suspension of the athlete.