Today, 19 June, the Supervisory Board published its acquittal in the doping case of skier Juha Lallukka. In autumn 2011, Lallukka’s doping control showed an adverse analytical finding with regard to a growth hormone. In its decision, the Supervisory Board considered that shortcomings in setting the decision limits of the growth hormone test may have justifiably caused Lallukka’s adverse analytical finding, despite there being no certainty of it.
“It is clear that we are disappointed with the decision. We will now look closely into the grounds and details of the decision. We are considering taking the case to the Finnish Sports Arbitration Board,” says Pekka Ilmivalta, the Chair of Finnish Antidoping Agency FINADA.
FINADA will also discuss the case with the World Anti-Doping Agency WADA. WADA has the right to appeal the decision regardless of FINADA.
In a hearing decision issued on 19 January 2012, the Supervisory Board postponed the processing of skier Lallukka’s suspected antidoping rule violation on the athlete’s request. The objective of this decision was to wait the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) with regard to the case of the Estonian skier Andrus Veerpalu.
On 25 March 2013, CAS acquitted Veerpalu as according to it, the decision limits of the growth hormone test could not be verified reliably. However, according to CAS, the growth hormone test as such is reliable. Lallukka’s doping control and its analysis were carried out according to the World Anti-Doping Code and the International Standard for Testing.
“It should be kept in mind that the cases of Veerpalu and Lallukka were individual and proof in these cases was different. Despite speculations about decision limits, we consider that proof of use of a growth hormone is entirely sufficient in the Lallukka case,” comments Timo Seppälä, FINADA’s Medical Director.
Further information:
Pekka Ilmivalta
FINADA – Chair
Mobile +358 50 596 7906
Timo Seppälä
FINADA – Medical Director
Mobile +358 400 685 337