Skip to main content
International Arbitration Forum

International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) v. Vicky Annett Schlittig

Case summary

At a glance

Parties
International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), acting through the International Testing Agency (ITA), v. Vicky Annett Schlittig (Germany)
Case no.
CAS 2022/ADD/53
Forum and rules
Court of Arbitration for Sport, Anti-Doping Division (CAS ADD); ADD Rules; IWF Anti-Doping Rules
Treaty
None. IWF Anti-Doping Rules (Article 8.1.1 delegation to CAS ADD)
Tribunal
David Benck (Sole Arbitrator)
Sector
Sport (weightlifting); anti-doping
Outcome
Award of 2 August 2023: an Article 2.1 violation (presence of DHCMT) was found, but the athlete bore No Fault or Negligence. No period of ineligibility was imposed. Her results at the 2021 IWF European Junior Championships were disqualified. The IWF's request was dismissed.
Amount
No financial sanction stated. The costs section is redacted in the published award.

The dispute

Vicky Annett Schlittig is a German international-level weightlifter, born in 2003, who had been in the Registered Testing Pool since 2017. On 26 September 2021 she gave an in-competition sample at the 2021 IWF European Junior Championships in Rovaniemi, Finland. The A and B samples both showed the non-specified anabolic steroid dehydrochloromethyl-testosterone (DHCMT), at about 0.6 ng/mL. The ITA, acting for the IWF, charged her with Presence of a Prohibited Substance under Article 2.1 of the IWF Anti-Doping Rules and sought a four-year period of ineligibility, arguing that she had not shown the violation was unintentional. The athlete first raised a possible sample mix-up and possible manipulation of the sample, then dropped both. Her final case was that DHCMT entered her body without fault, through skin contact with other athletes, coaches and staff in the days before the test.

Key holdings

  1. CAS ADD has jurisdiction. Under Article 8.1.1 of the IWF ADR, the IWF delegated the adjudication of anti-doping matters to CAS ADD. ¶ 71
  2. The B-sample analysis confirmed the DHCMT found in the A-sample. The mix-up argument failed because the DNA report showed that the urine was the athlete's. She accepted that report, did not ultimately allege any departure from the International Standard for Laboratories, and agreed that manipulation of the sample could be ruled out. The violation was therefore established on a strict-liability basis. ¶¶ 76, 92–101
  3. Both experts agreed that transdermal administration was probable. The Sole Arbitrator accepted their consensus: the detection of DHCMT alone, in low or trace amounts and without its associated metabolites, showed that it was applied to the skin within a few hours to a few days before 26 September 2021. ¶¶ 104–106
  4. The athlete bore No Fault or Negligence. The Sole Arbitrator relied on her negative tests of 6 September and 4 October 2021, the trace amount detected, and her evidence of many physical contacts in the days before the test. On that basis he found it probable that she received DHCMT inadvertently through the skin and not intentionally. ¶¶ 107–116
  5. Under Article 10.5, no period of ineligibility is imposed. Under Article 9, her results at the 2021 IWF European Junior Championships are automatically disqualified, with forfeiture of medals, points and prizes. The IWF's request for arbitration is dismissed. Operative part, ¶¶ 1–4

Procedural history

  1. 26 September 2021In-competition sample collected at the 2021 IWF European Junior Championships in Rovaniemi.
  2. 4 November 2021The Cologne Laboratory reports an Adverse Analytical Finding for DHCMT in the A-sample. The ITA then notifies the athlete and imposes a mandatory provisional suspension.
  3. 15 December 2021The B-sample analysis confirms DHCMT. The ITA issues its Notice of Charge on 20 December 2021.
  4. 3 February 2022The Cologne Laboratory's DNA report confirms that the sample came from the athlete.
  5. 15 November 2022The IWF files its Request for Arbitration with CAS ADD.
  6. 29 November 2022The President of the CAS ADD appoints David Benck as Sole Arbitrator.
  7. 8 February 2023Hearing held by videoconference.
  8. 2 August 2023Award: violation found; No Fault or Negligence; no ineligibility; competition results disqualified.

Tribunal, counsel and experts

Decided by
  • David Benck Sole arbitrator, CAS Anti-Doping Division — appointed by the institution (Appointed by the President of the CAS ADD)
For the claimant
International Testing Agency (ITA)
For the respondent
Steffen Lask · Severin Lask
Experts
Martial Saugy (claimant) · Douwe de Boer (respondent)

Run a conflict check on these names →

Keywords

Summary generated with AI from the published documents — refer to the award for the authoritative text.

Case ID
CAS 2022/ADD/53
Claimant
International Weightlifting Federation (IWF)
Respondent
Vicky Annett Schlittig
Documents

Procedure: Anti-Doping Division
Sport: Weightlifting
Matter: Doping
Outcome: Dismissed
Source: Court of Arbitration for Sport case database.