In a shocking news press release on the CIKs website it has been announced that Flavio Camponeschi has failed a FIA doping test. Traces of Cannabis were found in a urine sample.

A NEW WINNER OF THE CIK-FIA WORLD CUP FOR KF2. Assembled at the headquarters
of the FIA in Paris on 11 November 2008 following the positive analysis of an anti-doping control
carried out during the CIK-FIA World Cup for KF2 at La Conca (I) on 20 September 2008,
the Stewards of the Meeting for that event heard the Italian driver Flavio Camponeschi, the
winner of the race.

Traces of a product (cannabis) featuring on the «Prohibited List» published by the World Anti-Doping
Agency (WADA) had been detected in the urine sample provided by the driver concerned. The
Panel of Stewards decided to exclude him from the fi nal classifi cation and suspend his licence
for the next 6 months.

Full press release>>

WADA Prohibited List>>

This news is somewhat unprecedented, and will send shock waves through the karting community. It is unheard of for a major championship winner to be excluded, and banned for 6 months months for this type of offence. Cannabis was a controversial addition to the WADA Prohibited List as questions were raised about how effective the drug was at gaining an unfair advantage. At the time of the addition WADA’s Director of Science, Olivier Rabin, said this -

“We have three criteria for including something on our list of prohibited substances and methods, at least two of which have to be met – performance enhancement, possible health dangers and a contravention of the spirit of sport.

We know full well that cannabis can alleviate feelings of fear which can help performance in some sports.

It is also risky for athletes and others around them as it can cause a distortion of perception and we also believe it violates the spirit of sport even though we understand it is mainly a social drug.”

According to some websites Cannabis can stay in the system and be detected in a urine sample for only a few days after a single hit. More prolonged use of Cannabis can stay in the system for nearly a month after stopping.

As a consequence of this decision by the CIK-FIA Oliver Rowland has now been crowned the KF2 World Cup Winner. It is not known if Camponeschi will appeal this decision yet.

Talk about this story, and see the karting public’s veiws on our Karting Forum here

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