22. January 2004  
Moutier / Switzerland  
Artistic Gymnastics

Gervasio Deferr: Gymnast tested positive for cannabis

Gervasio Deferr (ESP)


PROCEDURES STILL UNDER WAY...
Yesterday the International Gymnastics Federation pronounced in a press release, that the Royal Spanish Gymnastics Federation appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the CAS in Lausanne in the matter of Olympic Champion Gervasio Deferr, who tested positive for cannabis in the autumn 2002.
The Spanish Federation officially informed the FIG by mail on January 19.....


F.I.G. Press Release:
At the Artistic Gymnastics Spanish Championships on October 12, 2002 in Vitoria, athlete Gervasio Deferr (ESP) tested positive for cannabis. One week later, on October 19, 2002 at the International Tournament in Paris, a less concentrated form of the same substance was again found in the sample.
>> On November 23, 2002 at the World Championships in Debrecen (HUN), testing confirmed the residual presence of the same substance. Scientifically speaking, it is possible that we are dealing with a single case, the concentration of the incriminating substance logically diminishing with time.
>> On December 12, the gymnast relinquished his right to proceed with the analysis of flask B and
>> on January 20, 2003, he sent a letter to the FIG, in which he acknowledged his act and expressed his regret.
The offence committed in Vitoria draws attention to the Spanish Federation’s competence. In the cases of Paris (World Cup) and Debrecen (World Championships), the FIG Disciplinary Commission, made up of three members, was responsible for handling the dossier and decided to exclude the Appellant for a period of three months from international competitions.
The exclusion operated retrospectively from October 19, 2002 - the date of the first drug test, according to the FIG regulations. The gymnast filed an appeal against this decision.
>> On November 30, 2003, the FIG Appeal Tribunal decided, that
- a. the Appellants’ request for nullification of the sentence of the FIG Disciplinary Commission in the matter of Mr. Deferr (2003) with the consequence that the charges as well are nullified is dismissed.
- b. the decision of the FIG Disciplinary Commission is set aside.
- c. the matter of Mr. Deferr is referred to a full hearing before a Disciplinary Commission of the FIG composed of persons who were not members of the Disciplinary Commission which heard the Deferr matter.

>> On January 5, 2004, the Royal Spanish Gymnastics Federation appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the CAS in Lausanne and officially informed the FIG by mail on January 19.
The procedure is still on the way.
FIG press release