FEI investigating positive Qatari cannabis findings

THE FEI has announced adverse analytical findings involving two members of the Qatari jumping team which booked one of the two Tokyo 2020 team quota slots at the designated Olympic Jumping Qualifier for Group F (Africa & Middle East) in Morocco last October.

Samples taken on October 13th from the Qatari Jumping athletes Sheikh Ali Al Thani (FEI ID: 10024194), and Bassem Mohammed (FEI ID: 10082635) tested positive for Carboxy-THC, a metabolite of cannabis, which is a prohibited substance under the FEI’s Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA). The date was the Olympic jumping qualifier for Africa and the Middle East in Rabat, Morocco.

The athletes have not been provisionally suspended, as Carboxy-THC is a *Specified Substance banned in competition under the 2019 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.

The FEI statement said: “In order to maintain the integrity of the ongoing legal process, the FEI will not comment further.”

Should the legal process lead to the disqualification of the two riders, Qatar’s team quota place would then be reallocated to Morocco.