BREAKING: McGill player suspended for doping violation

****UPDATE JUNE 22ND, 2016 @ 12:30PM EST***

MONTREAL – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport announced Tuesday that Moy Mc Donald, a player with the McGill University football team, has been suspended from varsity competition for a period of four years as a result of violating CIS rules regarding the use of prohibited substances.

Mc Donald, a six-foot, 186-pound receiver is about to begin his third year in the faculty of arts, majoring in economics. He played eight games during his freshman campaign in 2014, but did not play last season after suffering a broken leg in an off-season training session.

The 23-year-old native of Brossard, Que., participated in an unannounced doping control session on March 23, 2016, which revealed the presence of SARM S-22, ibutamoren and clenbuterol. In response to the CCES notification of the adverse analytical finding, Mc Donald waived his right to a hearing, acknowledged the anti-doping violation and accepted the four-year sanction.

“We are extremely disappointed that one of our student-athletes has tested positive for the use of a banned substance,” said Marc Gélinas, executive director of athletics and recreation.  “In conjunction with the CCES online drug education program, we consider the information provided to McGill varsity athletes to be very comprehensive. Although this test result is discouraging it will prompt us to intensify our efforts in educating our athletes about the importance of a level playing field, the spirit of sport and their health and welfare.”

The University’s objective is to educate student-athletes and the coaching staff about the hazards and consequences of using prohibited substances or methods in contravention of the Canadian Anti-Doping Program. Mandatory drug education seminars are conducted annually for all varsity athletes.

Although complete CCES statistics are not yet available for this year, there were just five positive results in 220 tests conducted on CIS athletes during the 2014-15 season. Efforts will be intensified by McGill officials to further educate student-athletes on the negatives associated with doping in order to further reduce incident breaches of the CCES rules.

“Our program has been proactive against using artificial and dangerous means of physical conditioning and we have worked very hard to educate the athletes to train in a healthy way in preparation for playing football at McGill,” said Ronald Hilaire, about to enter his third season as head coach of the Redmen football team. “We believe in the importance of drug-free sport.”

More data on CCES testing can be found online at: http://cces.ca/statistics

The Canadian Centre of Sports Ethics (CCES) have released an official statement:

CCES – (Ottawa, Ontario – June 21, 2016) – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Moy McDonald, a Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) football player from McGill University, received a sanction of four years for an anti-doping rule violation. The athlete’s urine sample, collected during out-of-competition doping control on March 23, 2016, revealed the presence of SARM S-22, ibutamoren and clenbuterol.

In response to the CCES’ notification of the adverse analytical finding, Mr. McDonald waived his right to a hearing, acknowledged the anti-doping rule violation, and accepted a four-year sanction ending March 23, 2020. The athlete, who resides in St-Hubert, Quebec, is ineligible to participate in any capacity with any sport signatory to the Canadian Anti-Doping Program (CADP), including training with teammates.

In compliance with rule 7.10 of the CADP, a copy of the CCES’ file outcome summary can be found at www.cces.ca/sanctionreg.

The CCES is an independent, national, not-for profit organization with a responsibility to administer the CADP. Under the CADP rules, the CCES announces publicly every anti-doping rule violation. We recognize that true sport can make a great difference for individuals, communities and our country. We are committed to working collaboratively to activate a values-based and principle-driven sport system; protecting the integrity of sport from the negative forces of doping and other unethical threats; and advocating for sport that is fair, safe and open to everyone.