On 17 August 2014, Mr Darcy Ward underwent an alcohol test at the round of the 2014 FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship held in Daugavpils, Latvia. The test was positive for a level above the threshold specified in the FIM Anti-Doping Code (P.1 Alcohol).
On 28 August 2014, the FIM provisionally suspended Mr Ward pending the CDI (International Disciplinary Court)’s decision adjudicating on the merits of the case. Since then, Mr Ward has been provisionally barred from participating in any competition. The case was referred to the CDI and Mr Lars Nilsson of Sweden was appointed by the Director of the International Commission of Judges (CJI) as CDI Single Judge to hear the case.
On 19 September 2014, a Request made by the Rider on 3 September 2014 for the lifting of his provisional suspension was denied by the CDI. Mr Ward was heard by the CDI during a Hearing held in a hotel situated near the headquarters of the FIM on 30 January 2015.
The CDI has now issued the operative part of its decision in advance of the reasons at the special request of Mr Ward. The CDI found that Mr Ward committed an anti-doping rule violation under the 2014 FIM Anti-Doping Code. The CDI ruled that Mr Ward is sanctioned with a period of ineligibility of ten (10) months commencing on the date of the decision, 25 February 2015, and that the period of the provisional suspension already served by Mr Ward shall be credited against the period of the sanction.
Consequently, the period of ineligibility imposed on Mr Ward will end on 27 June 2015 at midnight.
Moreover, the CDI ruled that the results obtained by Mr Ward in all the Competitions in which he participated subsequent to the positive test, from 17 August 2014 until 27 August 2014, are cancelled, with all resulting consequences, including forfeiture of any points and prizes.
An appeal against the decision of the CDI may be lodged by the parties before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne (Switzerland) within 21 days of the date of receipt of the full reasoned CDI decision.