IFF announces today that Juan Marcos Blake Otero, a Spanish national team floorball player, has accepted a 9-month sanction for an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV).

Blake Otero, 25, tested positive for Carboxy-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a metabolite of marijuana and/or hashish, above the decision limit of 180 ng/mL, as a result of a sample collected on February 4th 2016 in World Floorball Championships 2016 Qualifications Europe 3 in Lochow, Poland.

Carboxy-THC is a substance in the class of Cannabinoids, which are prohibited under the International Floorball Federation (IFF) Anti-Doping Rules, which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List. Cannabinoids are listed as Specified Substances, and therefore the presence of those substances in an athlete’s sample can result in a reduced sanction.

Blake Otero accepted a nine-month period of ineligibility, which began on April 1st 2016, the date he accepted a provisional suspension.

In an effort to aid athletes, as well as all support team members such as coaches and team managers, in understanding the rules applicable to them, IFF provides comprehensive instruction on its website on the testing process and prohibited substances, how to obtain permission to use a necessary medication, and the risks and dangers of taking supplements as well as performance-enhancing drugs. For more information, visit: www.floorball.org/pages/EN/ANTI-DOPING-and-MEDICAL

IFF is responsible for the testing and results management process for athletes competing in the IFF Events.