Olympic dressage rider Domien Michiels was disqualified from the team final at the Paris 2024 Games for failing a drug test.
The cause?
Coming into contact with a prohibited substance when treating his ill dog.
According to reports, the in-competition test was carried out on August 3rd, the day of the grand prix special, which decided the Olympic dressage team medals at Paris 2024, and the sample was positive for dorzolamide.
A statement from the International Testing Agency (ITA) said that over the course of proceedings, Mr Michiels “was able to establish that dorzolamide entered his body inadvertently when he administered eye drops containing [the drug] to his dog to treat the dog’s illness”.
The drug is listed under diuretics and masking agents on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list. It is classed as banned at all times – except when directly applied to the eyes.
“Considering that dorzolamide did not enter the athlete’s system through topical ophthalmic route exclusively and in light of the principle of ‘strict liability’, the presence of dorzolamide in his sample constitutes an ADRV [anti-doping rule violation],” added the ITA statement.
The statement said Michiels was able to establish that he bore “no fault or negligence” for the positive test. This is defined as the person establishing that they did not know or suspect, and could not reasonably have known or suspected even with the exercise of utmost caution, that they had used or been administered a prohibited substance/method, or had otherwise broken an anti-doping rule.
Michiels said: “I accept the decision that recognises that I was not negligent and did not intend to cheat or violate the rules. I am now looking ahead to continue to give the best of myself in equestrian sport in the future.”
A joint statement from the Belgian equestrian federation, Paardensport Vlaanderens and the Ligue Equestre Wallonie Bruxelles said: “As a federation, we attach great importance to a fair and doping-free sport.
“Of course, we recognise the decision of the ITA and the IOC [International Olympic Committee], but we would like to emphasise once again that although this finding is considered a doping violation, it was also determined that Domien Michiels is not at fault in any significant way. It is clear that there was no intention of unfair behaviour or negligence on his part.”
The ITA statement said that Michiels was not subject to a mandatory provisional suspension as the prohibited substance detected was a specified substance. A specified substance is defined by WADA as being “more likely to have been consumed or used by an athlete for a purpose other than the enhancement of sport performance”.