The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport has banned a Vernon snowboarder for four years after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.
Matt Hamilton a member of Canada Snowboard’s Para-Snowboard NextGen Group for the 2019-20 season, tested positive for the chemical substance GW501516 in January, the CCES announced Monday.
GW501516 is also known as cardarine and endurobol. It is a prohibited hormone and metabolic modulator, which the World Anti Doping Agency banned because of its performance-enhancing qualities. The global anti-doping body took the added step of warning athletes against its use after learning it was still for sale on the black market because it has serious potential side-effects, including heightened risk of cancer.
According to WADA , the pharmaceutical company which had been developing the drug abandoned pre-clinical trials more than a decade ago after discovering its cancer-causing properties. It is not legally available for sale in Canada or the United States, though it has been found in some dietary supplements, the US Anti-Doping Agency has reported.
The 37 year old is originally from North Vancouver. He first raced for Canada in January 2019 at Big White and then competed in eight races this past season; his best results were a pair of fifth-place finishes in snowboard cross, back at Big White in February of this year.
Hamilton also works as a heavy-duty mechanic in Alberta, the Vernon Morning Star reported last year. Hamilton had earned a $10,000 grant from Petro Canada for the 2019-20 season.
CCES said Hamilton did not dispute the test result and is prohibited from competing or training with his teammates until April 7, 2024.
In a statement, Canada Snowboard said that Hamilton had decided to quit the sport following his positive test.
He blamed his test on a contaminated supplement and has no further comment.
“Canada Snowboard educates all of their athletes on supplement usage and the risks involved. Our sports medical staff and coaching staff do regular educational sessions to enforce the rules surrounding the WADA Prohibited substance list,” they added. “Training is done annually with each athlete directly to provide information to athletes to build awareness around the risks involved in supplements.”
“Canada Snowboard advocates for clean sport. We do everything we can to educate our athletes and provide them with the information and resources required to make smart and considered decisions around supplement usage,” Jean-Francois Rapatel, Canada Snowboard’s sport and high performance director, said.
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