One thing that separates aggressive freediving from different sports activities is the seemingly tight-knit and supportive freediving neighborhood. Though rivalries exist, they’re sometimes pleasant ones. Friendships between prime athletes are well-known.
However at Vertical Blue 2023, a well-known personal freediving competitors held yearly at Dean’s Blue Gap in Lengthy Island, Bahamas, the standard smoky haze of positivity disappeared weeks earlier than the competitors started.
Freediving Doping Controversy
After 12-months+ of in depth investigation, together with over 400 hours of analysis and interviews by creator Kristina Zvaritch, DeeperBlue.com is solely releasing this four-part sequence about doping in freediving, impressed by the occasions that preceded the 2023 version of the famend Vertical Blue freediving competitors and its aftermath. The sequence consists of the next articles:
With a single Instagram publish accusing two competing athletes of getting performance-enhancing medicine of their baggage, social media customers went up in arms in opposition to one another, throwing accusations of doping on the athletes concerned and anybody defending them. People who questioned the legality of the search or advised a scarcity of due course of additionally got here beneath hearth; folks feared even questioning how the substances could possibly be performance-enhancing, fearful they is perhaps labeled as cheaters. Aggressive freediving turned a deeply political matter, and friendships have been misplaced over divided stances.
I began by trying to jot down a single article on the topic, primarily to tell readers of the overall timeline and hyperlink to related social media posts. Nevertheless, the extra I spoke to athletes, freediving organizations, anti-doping organizations, and medical professionals, the extra questions I had. This resulted in a whole yr of labor and over 400 hours devoted to interviewing, researching, investigating, and disseminating data. Naturally, one article grew into 4, of which that is the primary.
What occurred in the course of the Vertical Blue 2023 baggage search? What have been the substances allegedly present in athletes’ luggage? How did freediving organizations reply to the accusations? Be part of me as I seek for solutions partly one in all this sequence.
A Word on WADA, the Code, and Worldwide Requirements
Whereas doping in sports activities has reportedly existed because the Historic Olympics, it was solely in 1999 that the worldwide sporting world got here collectively and created the World Anti-Doping Company (WADA). Its goal is to set and standardize anti-doping guidelines, monitor compliance, conduct analysis and growth, and educate the general public.
On the coronary heart of WADA’s efforts are its core doc, the ‘Code,’ and eight Worldwide Requirements, which totally define each side of the doping management course of. These requirements are important for making certain consistency and equity throughout all anti-doping businesses.
Failure to stick to those tips threatens the integrity of the doping management course of, diminishes the belief and confidence of members in organized sports activities, and threatens truthful play.
Vertical Blue 2023 Baggage Search
July 4, 2023 – Arrival to Lengthy Island
Pepe Salcedo and his girlfriend, Eliette Rutledge, walked into the airport lounge in Nassau, Bahamas, on July 4, 2023, ready to board their airplane headed for Deadman’s Cay. There, they noticed Australian freediver Amber Bourke and three Croatian world champion freedivers: Vitomir Maricic, Petar Klovar, and Sanda Delija. All have been heading to Vertical Blue 2023, a famend personal freediving competitors at Dean’s Blue Gap on Lengthy Island. Salcedo, Maricic, Klovar, and Bourke have been heading to compete, whereas Delija got here to coach and Rutledge to commentate for the occasion, which might be happening on July 20 – 30.
Because the airplane landed and the athletes stepped off, they have been met by William Trubridge, the organizer of Vertical Blue and fellow competitor. Salcedo went to hug him, joking that Delija can be all for taking part at Vertical Blue if there have been any cancellations. Trubridge mentioned it was doable, however first, he wanted to carry out a ‘gateway’ baggage search. He gave them the selection of conducting a baggage search on the airport or a police station. The athletes have been already sweating beneath the noon solar, so that they selected to go to the police station.
Trubridge advised Croatian athletes Maricic, Klovar, and Delija to place their luggage at the back of his pickup truck and experience within the automobile with him. He then instructed Salcedo to drop his luggage within the truck and observe him in Salcedo’s rental automobile. Salcedo requested, “What about Amber?” and pointed at Bourke, however Trubridge didn’t appear to note, and she or he left in her rental automobile.
At one level, Croatian athletes Vitomir Maricic and Petar Klovar joked with Trubridge about Klovar setting a brand new Fixed Weight No Fins (CNF) World Document at this yr’s competitors. CNF is essentially the most difficult freediving self-discipline, involving an athlete diving down and up a line utilizing solely arm and leg strokes. Trubridge, additionally a freediving world champion, reached fame partly by means of his 102m (335ft) CNF World Document, which has remained untouched since 2016. Klovar’s official coach, Maricic, confirmed in an interview that setting a brand new CNF World Document was the primary objective for Vertical Blue 2023.
Vertical Blue’s doping management coverage
The ‘gateway’ baggage examine William Trubridge talked about was solely a part of the 2023 version of Vertical Blue; earlier editions didn’t embody baggage searches. Trubridge advised the athletes they’d agreed to ‘particular guidelines’ for this yr’s Vertical Blue as they registered. He was referring to a doc titled ‘VB Doping Management Coverage and Procedures,’ which acknowledged that together with WADA’s (World Anti-Doping Company) prohibited record of gear, there have been extra prohibited medicine, point out of doable random baggage searches, and extra.
The Search
William Trubridge strolling into an unidentified constructing with athletes’ baggage in hand and a uniformed Royal Bahamas police officer in tow. Video supplied by Vitomir Maricic.
William Trubridge and the athletes arrived at an unmarked, dilapidated constructing with worn couches and chairs. Everybody’s baggage was gathered collectively right into a pile; in the meantime, the Croatians started arguing with Trubridge and asking if this was an official police matter or a non-public matter. Trubridge concluded this was a non-public matter – it was occurring at a police station. Each he and a police officer within the room acknowledged that nobody was beneath arrest and was free to go at any time. Vitomir Maricic then took a photograph of one of many armed law enforcement officials, however the officer demanded he delete it.
William Trubridge and a uniformed Royal Bahamas police officer looking athlete baggage. Video supplied by Vitomir Maricic.
Maricic requested why William Trubridge, not solely Vertical Blue’s occasion organizer but in addition one in all its rivals, was looking their luggage since there was an obvious battle of curiosity. Trubridge advised Maricic that nobody on the Vertical Blue crew was keen to do the search, so he needed to do it himself. He and one of many law enforcement officials donned gloves, and the police officer started looking the baggage, handing Trubridge any drugs and blisters he discovered inside. Trubridge wrote the names of every medicine on items of torn, wrinkled pocket book pages and snapped images of every blister.
William Trubridge checks the contents of athlete baggage whereas an armed Royal Bahamas police officer watches. Video supplied by Vitomir Maricic.
In accordance with Vitomir Maricic, in the midst of the search, Trubridge requested him and Petar Klovar, “Do you will have prescriptions for these medicine?” Maricic advised him sure and that they’d submit something Trubridge wanted for any drug he discovered. “I assumed perhaps he would examine his record after which ask for explanations for particular medicine, however he by no means requested once more,” he disclosed to me.
Through the search, Sanda Delija observed Trubridge’s telephone was recording audio of your complete interplay. The Croatians confronted him repeatedly, asking Trubridge why he was secretly recording them. In accordance with the Croatians, Trubridge appeared to disregard them till he admitted that he wasn’t positive if recording audio with out consent was authorized.
Trubridge then knowledgeable Maricic and Klovar that they’d bear a doping management (an official testing process the place a urine pattern can be collected to check for prohibited substances). As a number of world record-breaking freedivers, the Croatian athletes have been no strangers to the doping management course of, so that they requested for water. Nevertheless, the law enforcement officials introduced them a bottle of unsealed water, which they instantly observed and refused to drink, as ingesting unsealed water is just not advisable for athletes present process doping management.
After Trubridge concluded his search of the athletes’ luggage, he gave the record of things he had written down on paper to the officers to signal. Nevertheless, not one of the athletes had the possibility to learn what he’d written or log off on something themselves. When one of many athletes requested the law enforcement officials who have been current their names, one officer gave his title, whereas the opposite refused.
As the baggage search concluded, Salcedo, Rutledge, and Delija left for his or her lodging. On the identical time, Maricic and Klovar met with a doping management officer (DCO) from the Bahamas Anti-Doping Fee (BADC) to gather their urine samples. The temper was darkish, and a heavy cloud appeared over everybody on the baggage search. Nothing was communicated to Maricic or Klovar additional on the matter till they opened their Instagram feed 4 days later to discover a new publish from Vertical Blue’s official account.
Trial by Social Media
Vertical Blue breaks the information on Instagram and YouTube
On July 8, 2023, 4 days after the July 4th baggage search, the freediving neighborhood was thrown right into a state of shock. A publish with an official assertion appeared on Vertical Blue’s official Instagram account stating that three Croatian athletes (Vitomir Maricic, Petar Klovar, and Sanda Delija) underwent a doping management baggage search, and that “Through the search, 4 (4) identified Efficiency Enhancing Medicine (PEDs) have been found within the baggage of each athletes. These included substances which are on the WADA banned record for all sport, in addition to different pharmaceuticals which are identified to be PEDs for freediving, and are included on the banned record for VB in response to its doping coverage.”
The 4 substances that have been allegedly discovered within the athletes’ baggage and their official standing as performance-enhancing medicine are as follows:
- Furosemide – Belonging to the loop diuretic drug class to deal with and handle fluid overload situations, it’s listed on WADA’s record of prohibited substances within the ‘diuretic and masking agent’ class relatively than as a performance-enhancing drug.
- Alprazolam and diazepam – Belonging to the benzodiazepine drug class to deal with anxiousness, psychological health-related situations, and seizures, benzodiazepines are listed as a performance-enhancing drug within the VB Doping Management Coverage and Procedures doc. Nevertheless, benzodiazepines will not be presently on WADA’s Prohibited Record.
- Sildenafil – Belonging to the phosphodiesterase sort 5 (PDE5) inhibitor drug class, sildenafil is primarily used to deal with erectile dysfunction. Sildenafil is just not listed by title within the VB Doping Management Coverage and Procedures doc and isn’t presently on WADA’s Prohibited Record.
These substances, their makes use of, and their potential (or lack thereof) as performance-enhancing medicine are mentioned intimately within the third article of this sequence.
Vertical Blue’s official assertion went on to say that audio documentation revealed that “the athletes in query mentioned (in Croatian language) the medicine that have been of their baggage, as effectively medicine they’d taken lately that they have been involved should still be detectable of their system.”
A video on Vertical Blue’s official YouTube account featured snippets of recorded audio in the course of the baggage search and images of the alleged drug blisters.
The audio documentation talked about within the official assertion was posted on Vertical Blue’s official YouTube account and featured two minutes of edited snippets of Croatian dialog that always trailed off mid-sentence. The written Croatian textual content was supplied together with an unofficial English translation. Moreover, images of the alleged drug blisters have been displayed, with some pictures showing to be duplicated.
Vertical Blue’s official assertion concluded with the announcement of Maricic’s and Klovar’s lifetime ban from Vertical Blue, together with the approaching Vertical Blue 2023. It additional included {that a} report was being ready for the Disciplinary Committee of the Worldwide Affiliation for the Growth of Apnea (AIDA), a freediving report governing physique.
Feedback on the publish have been a mixture of feelings. Some Instagram customers praised and supported Vertical Blue’s efforts within the combat in opposition to doping. In distinction, others questioned the legality of the search, accused the publish of defamation, and objected to the shortage of due course of. A number of commenters requested why a number of the medicine have been listed as performance-enhancing.
Within the third article of the sequence, “Freediving Doping Controversy Half 3: Analyzing the Medicine in Query” (revealed subsequent week), I look at sildenafil, benzodiazepines, and furosemide in additional element, utilizing scientific research to judge whether or not they could possibly be thought of performance-enhancing substances in freediving.
Public response from Vitomir Maricic and Petar Klovar
On the identical day Vertical Blue broke the information of the baggage search, Vitomir Maricic and Petar Klovar posted a response through Instagram stating that the claims in opposition to them have been false and that their attorneys suggested them to not make any detailed statements. They talked about within the publish that they’re “athletes which are clear, have at all times been, and this can all be quickly clarified.”
One other two weeks later, the athletes uploaded a brand new publish on Instagram titled ‘Cease unfair media trial.’ It included bullet factors describing the Vertical Blue baggage search and a extra detailed model of the occasions from their perspective.
Vitomir Maricic’s and Petar Klovar’s historical past of out-of-competition doping management
Many prime athletes in sports activities are positioned in a sports activities group’s Registered Testing Pool. As a part of this program, they have to usually inform the group of their whereabouts, which permits for random doping controls to be carried out all year long, even exterior of competitions.
As world champion athletes, each Vitomir Maricic and Petar Klovar present their whereabouts by means of WADA’s ADAMS (‘Anti-Doping Administration and Administration System’), a instrument WADA and anti-doping organizations use to make sure efficient monitoring and implementation of anti-doping rules.
Maricic first began inputting his whereabouts and present process out-of-competition testing in 2018, whereas Klovar started doing the identical in 2021. They estimate that in 2023 alone, Maricic had 6 to eight in- and out-of-competition exams, and Klovar had 12 or extra.
Moreover, Maricic knowledgeable me that they’ve by no means examined constructive nor missed a single management (athletes are allowed to overlook two controls yearly, akin to if an athlete doesn’t get up for it, their telephone is disconnected, they’re at a unique deal with, and so forth.).
Vitomir Maricic’s and Petar Klovar’s Vertical Blue 2023 doping management outcomes
Each Vitomir Maricic and Petar Klovar examined unfavourable for the July 4, 2023 doping management that instantly adopted William Trubridge’s baggage search.
Freedivers begin a public petition on Change.org
Some freedivers have been fast to name for motion after the information of the baggage search broke, beginning a Change.org petition on July 21 addressed to AIDA Worldwide and CMAS (CMAS is the French acronym for the World Underwater Federation, a long-established freediving record-governing physique).
The petition referred to as on each organizations to ban benzodiazepines with out the requirement for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (known as a ‘TUE,’ which is a particular permission granted to an athlete that permits them to make use of a substance from WADA’s Prohibited Substances record to be handled for an sickness or medical situation).
Moreover, the petition requested that Petar Klovar and Vitomir Maricic be “instantly suspended from all competitions beneath Article 2.6 of the World Anti-Doping Code for the possession of Fursemid 40mg.”
As of August 2024, it has amassed 700+ signatures.
The identical petition was additionally the main focus of an Instagram publish on William Trubridge’s official account however with the addition of 53 athlete names depicted as signing the petition. Nevertheless, some athletes spoke up within the feedback and protested their names being added.
Gus Kreveinas, a Lithuanian Nationwide Document Holder, commented, “To start with I wish to say that I’m supporting truthful play. And this case makes me very unhappy. And what’s the most annoying and disgusting and makes me doubt the equity of this course of is that my title is being placed on the record with out me understanding! @willtrubridge , in the event you demand everybody to play by the foundations please be sure that all play by the foundations. No person has proper to tug folks in to this with out their information and settlement. Finish off!”
Jennifer Wendland, World Champion and former World Document Holder, was additionally stunned at seeing her title written on Trubridge’s Instagram publish. “I’m a bit stunned to search out my title on this, with out ever having actively signed something. Sure, I mentioned I help this transfer in opposition to doping. However I’d have favored to have each points seperated: strict anti-doping guidelines together with extra substances, and the query of find out how to correctly course of an alleged doping case (particularly as a result of to somebody exterior of VB it’s nonetheless a whole thriller whats occurring). And I’d have favored to actively signal and consent.”
Vitomir Maricic posted screenshots of Gus and Jennifer’s feedback on his official Instagram account, together with Whatsapp and Fb Messenger screenshots of different people stating that they didn’t signal something. Moreover, a couple of screenshots included Instagram remark threads with customers questioning why Vertical Blue’s official Instagram account had banned their accounts.
Once I requested Trubridge how he compiled the athlete signatures on his Instagram account, he advised me that there was a gaggle of athletes who got here collectively to arrange the petition. “The names have been type of being added from folks all around the group,” he defined. “So somebody would say, ‘Oh, sure, these folks have mentioned they wish to signal.’ And they also have been being added utilizing that type of a system, like anybody in that group may add names. However I suppose it wasn’t essentially the most environment friendly system, as a result of perhaps a few of these names hadn’t seen the precise wording of the petition, and they also weren’t comfy with that wording when it got here out.”
Interview with William Trubridge
Throughout my analysis and interviews with athletes, I requested William Trubridge a couple of questions that obtained noteworthy responses.
What number of athletes noticed the VB Doping Management Coverage and Procedures doc earlier than the competitors?
Through the baggage search, William Trubridge handed Sanda Delija the VB Doping Management Coverage and Procedures in its printed kind. The athletes current tried to entry the Google Type used for competitors registration to examine for the VB doc. Nevertheless, they discovered that the registration kind hyperlink was now not obtainable.
Once I interviewed Trubridge and requested about that exact doc, he talked about to me that whereas a number of paperwork have been linked within the Google Type, the VB Doping Management Coverage and Procedures wasn’t one in all them. On the competitors registration, one of many questions merely acknowledged, “Do you comply with VB and AIDA coverage concerning doping testing (copies obtainable on request) with a ‘sure’ and ‘no’ choice.”
“Only a few folks really requested to see the insurance policies and procedures,” Trubridge advised me. “We in all probability may have executed so [attach the VB Doping Control Policy and Procedures to the Google Form], however the athletes who clearly have been all for (and once more, there have been very, only a few) may simply as simply write to us to ask to see these insurance policies and procedures.”
“In a approach, it’s additionally an indication,” Trubridge continued, “as a result of I imply, if somebody is asking to see the insurance policies and procedures and desirous to examine them out…I wouldn’t say it’s a crimson flag, nevertheless it’s simply an additional piece of knowledge, I suppose, about that case.”
When was the VB Doping Management Coverage and Procedures posted on-line?
In a remark thread on Trubridge’s Instagram publish concerning the petition to AIDA Worldwide and CMAS, Trubridge acknowledged, “the foundations have been written and on-line since earlier than athletes pre-registered in February,” showing to consult with the VB Doping Management Coverage and Procedures doc.
Nevertheless, a have a look at archived Vertical Blue ‘Information’ pages from March 5, Might 28, and June 7 doesn’t present the doc listed. It lastly appeared on the July 10 webpage archive six days after the day of the baggage search, and it has remained there because the writing of this text.
However in an interview with Trubridge, once I requested him particularly when the VB Doping Management Coverage and Procedures have been positioned on the web site, Trubridge requested, “They’re on the web site? Whereabouts are they on the web site?”
When did William Trubridge drop out of Vertical Blue 2023?
Later within the baggage search, the athletes questioned why Trubridge himself was looking their luggage since he was not solely the occasion organizer but in addition a fellow competitor.
In my interview with Trubridge, I requested him precisely when he dropped out of Vertical Blue 2023 as an athlete. He advised me he thinks he formally dropped out “someday in June.” Once I requested him what the method is for eradicating himself, he defined, “I eliminated my title from the spreadsheets after which despatched an e mail to the webmaster who handles the web site saying, ‘Can you are taking my title off the ‘in’ record for the athletes?’ and that went dwell immediately. And so any athlete can see at any time what the ‘in’ record is for the occasion.”
Nevertheless, a webpage archive from July 3, 2023, simply in the future earlier than the baggage search, confirmed him nonetheless on the record of rivals.
How did William Trubridge select the athletes for doping management?
I wished to grasp the choice course of for out-of-competition testing at Vertical Blue 2023.
Throughout my interview with Trubridge, I requested him about this instantly. He knowledgeable me it’s based mostly totally on profiling. “There’s a wealth of information that goes into making a call about who will get examined or not. And all of that information, none of it’s black and white within the sense that it’s 100% incriminating, as a result of if it was, then that will have been used already to incriminate them. So it’s, by definition, going to be type of anecdotal.”
Trubridge advised me that Vertical Blue administration selected athletes for the out-of-competition testing. Once I requested who that crew consisted of, he mentioned, “There’s an government group of three folks. Myself, Marco Cosentino, after which the third particular person, I’m undecided if…I imply, [REDACTED] is concerned as an government, however I must examine in and be sure that I can type of embody [REDACTED] title on the record of people who find themselves making this choice. So I’d need to observe up with [REDACTED] for that.”
Once I requested him a couple of days later to verify, he advised me, “They do desire to stay silent in spite of everything.”
Word: Pronouns have been redacted to guard the privateness of the person concerned on the request of William Trubridge.
Have been the uniformed law enforcement officials performing in an official capability?
The movies taken in the course of the baggage search present law enforcement officials in uniform, one in all whom was armed with a gun on his belt. I requested Trubridge if the law enforcement officials have been performing in an official capability or off-duty. Trubridge responded, “They have been off-duty, the police. It couldn’t be an official police matter, so that they have been principally working off-duty as safety and as type of officers come again to the search.”
Once I requested in the event that they have been in uniform, Trubridge continued, “Yeah, I feel they have been in uniform. So in response to the Bahamian legislation, they’re not required to take away that uniform after they’re off-duty. It wasn’t a selection as a result of it merely couldn’t be official police enterprise as a result of it doesn’t come beneath their mandate for the Royal Bahamas Police Power.”
Nevertheless, in response to the Royal Bahamas Police Power Standing Orders beneath Part A9 – Uniform, level 37 states, “Uniform is not going to be worn off responsibility.” As for being armed, in response to a 2014 article within the The Tribune, a every day newspaper within the Bahamas, a Police Workers Affiliation Treasurer acknowledged, “police can solely brandish police-issued firearms and ammunition inside their hours of responsibility.”
Who determines what prescription-only substances improve freediving efficiency and the way?
I requested Trubridge concerning the particular level within the VB Doping Management Coverage and Procedures that states, “any prescription-only substance that enhances efficiency in apnea/freediving and for which the athlete doesn’t have a present prescription.” Particularly, who determines what prescription-only substances improve freediving efficiency and the way?
“That was a clause that we put in there however weren’t positive about utilizing, and didn’t find yourself needing to make use of or in all probability wouldn’t have used ultimately as a result of it’s extra of type of like a grey space clause. It’s principally stating that there could also be different PEDs that we’re not conscious of which are clearly like pharmaceuticals you’d solely be taking in the event you’re very sick however have a performance-enhancing impact on freediving. And if that’s the case, and somebody’s taking substances purely to boost the efficiency like that, then that’s banned as effectively.”
“I feel Viagra (sildenafil) might need categorised as this,” Trubridge added. He took a second to examine the Vertical Blue Coverage and Procedures after which confirmed to me that sildenafil wasn’t listed there by title.
“So, as an example, sildenafil isn’t really listed within the Vertical Blue Coverage and Procedures,” Trubridge advised me. “However that was one thing that we then (type of in the middle of analysis and really discovering it within the baggage of the Croatians), we then did type of analysis on it. And there have been research that present that in common sport, it doesn’t do something. However in sports activities the place there’s hypoxia, akin to endurance sports activities at altitude and low oxygen, then it does have a profit. And so, it was apparent that there was a possible that this was a PED.”
In different phrases, analysis into sildenafil’s potential as a performance-enhancing drug for freediving was solely initiated after it was allegedly found within the Croatian athletes’ luggage.
Trubridge assured me that this class wasn’t supposed for use to catch folks out with a drug not listed within the doc. “For example, if somebody had are available in simply with Viagra, which was, even when it was getting used as a PED, we wouldn’t have banned them in that case as a result of clearly, it’s not listed,” Trubridge defined. “We might have simply advised them, okay, please don’t use this in the course of the occasion.”
As for who decided that sildenafil was a performance-enhancing drug for freediving, Trubridge acknowledged, “A crew of individuals. I’m not a physician myself; I’ve a background in science and biology. However no, it was like advisors – and most of them are medical doctors or analysis scientists.”
Freediving Organizations Reply
CMAS and AIDA launch investigations
On July 11, 2023, CMAS posted on its official freediving Instagram account that it obtained data from Vertical Blue organizers and would ship documentation to the Anti-Doping Fee and Authorized Fee. Commenters praised the respectful {and professional} tone of the publish, and the freediving world continued to attend for updates.
Then, on August 4, 2023, AIDA Worldwide acknowledged on its information web page that it had opened an inside investigation after Vertical Blue made the doping allegations public. It wrote, “The Technical Committee is reviewing our guidelines to strengthen the anti-doping controls and the respect of AIDA procedures for AIDA worldwide competitions. We imagine in striving to maintain our sport clear and making certain due course of.”
CMAS publicly suspends Vitomir Maricic and Petar Klovar from competitors
On July 27, 2023, lower than per week after the petition to ban benzodiazepines and droop Petar Klovar and Vitomir Maricic from competing went dwell on Change.org, CMAS introduced through Instagram that each athletes have been provisionally suspended from any sports activities actions inside CMAS, in response to Article 10.2 of the CMAS Statutes.
Article 10.2 states, “Moreover, the President could droop on interim foundation a pure or authorized particular person member of the CMAS for a interval not exceeding sixty (60) days, every time pressing causes justify such a decision. In such a case the Board of Administrators must be convened as quickly as doable to take all essential decision in accordance therewith.”
Moreover, CMAS acknowledged that it provisionally banned the use and possession of benzodiazepines and sildenafil for in- and out-of-competition use till it obtains a full scientific report from its commissions.
CMAS supplied me with a duplicate of the CMAS Presidential Order upon request. Nevertheless, readers would possibly word that on the finish of the second web page, a press release seems to be abruptly lower off: “WHEREAS: The Athletes didn’t deny the possession of the mentioned substances, but they claimed in opposition to the circumstances which led to the search carried out by the.”
When requested concerning the lacking data, a CMAS consultant acknowledged in an e mail that they didn’t know what was initially supposed.
CMAS quietly revokes the athletes’ suspension
On September 23, 2023, simply in the future shy of the Presidential Order’s 60-day restrict on Vitomir Maricic’s and Petar Klovar’s suspension, the CMAS Board of Administrators met to achieve a decision.
At the start of October, I requested CMAS instantly what choice was made concerning the athletes’ provisional suspension. A CMAS consultant acknowledged to me in an e mail that the “CMAS Board ratified the Presidential Order which was issued in July within the case of Vitomir Maricic and Petar Klovar and supported the disciplinary proceedings set in movement on the deserves, following the mentioned presidential order.”
However once I requested the CMAS consultant if that meant that the athletes’ suspension had been lifted, I obtained the reply, “Since an unbiased disciplinary process is presently on-going, and you’ll perceive that it’s necessary to respect the confidentiality of such proceedings, please be affected person and look forward to official press releases from CMAS Judicial Our bodies, which we count on to be launched quickly.”
CMAS didn’t point out that though it ratified the Presidential Order in that Board of Administrators assembly, it additionally revoked the athletes’ suspension from competitors.
I obtained a duplicate of the choice rendered by the President of the CMAS Disciplinary Committee. In it, Maricic’s and Klovar’s suspension was revoked since “in lack of sport tournaments the need of preserving their [the athletes’] well being situations and the stability of competitors is just not imminent.” In different phrases, the top of the freediving competitors season was approaching, so it was pointless to proceed the ban.
CMAS by no means formally introduced the lifting of Maricic’s and Klovar’s suspension ensuing from the Presidential Order.
Moreover, on October 16, 2023, Tolis Bellos, who’s the Director of CMAS Freediving Fee, posted on the CMAS Freediving Worldwide Fb group that CMAS is “’the house’ to all freedivers” and introduced that it has banned sure substances akin to benzodiazepines and sildenafil. The publish went on to say, “Contemplating all of the above, and following the current developments on the AIDA worldwide freediving occasion in Bahamas (we have been the one ones to take speedy motion) and the next occasion in Cyprus, which look like removed from the CMAS requirements, now we have resolved to discontinue additional cooperation with AIDA.”
thirty first AIDA Freediving World Championship
Tolis Bellos appeared to be referring to Vitomir Maricic and Petar Klovar being allowed to compete on the thirty first AIDA Freediving World Championship, which started on September 21, 2023. There, Klovar carried out a Free Immersion (flattening and up the dive line) AIDA World Document dive to 135m (443ft), and Maricic positioned first within the males’s total rating.
Many social media customers questioned why Klovar was allowed to compete since he had an underwater blackout (misplaced consciousness at depth) within the week earlier than the World Championship. He allegedly suffered a lung squeeze (a lung damage occurring at depth) on an tried world-record dive on the AIDA World Championships 2023 PreCompetition. In an interview, AIDA Worldwide President Sasa Jeremic (who started her presidential time period in 2024) advised me, “Petar was cleared to compete by the competitors physician and moreover offered a brand new medical certificates, which was requested in response to AIDA guidelines.”
Jeremic went on to say, “All blackouts are categorized by the jury in response to Article 5.2.4.8 of the AIDA Competitors Guidelines and Laws, with penalties outlined in 5.2.4.10. For barotrauma accidents – Article 5.2.5. The jury that was current within the water in the course of the dive, the competitors medic, who was the primary to assist the athlete, and the medic who proceeded with post-check-ups are a greater supply of details about this or every other blackouts than social media customers.”
William Trubridge additionally made an Instagram publish concerning the topic, stating that he wouldn’t take part within the occasion due to two athletes’ participation, seemingly referring to Maricic and Klovar.
AIDA Worldwide hires Clear Recreation
On October 27, 2023, AIDA Worldwide hosted an AIDA Meeting assembly discussing anti-doping procedures for AIDA competitions. The announcement acknowledged that AIDA had employed Clear Recreation, an unbiased anti-doping group acknowledged by WADA, to evaluate its strategy to anti-doping. Following this, AIDA created a brand new place of Anti-Doping Supervisor and appointed Professor Dr. Nenad Dikic, the president of Clear Recreation, to this function.
Professor Dr. Dikic introduced that “including new substances to an official ban record should observe scientific strategies concerning their results on well being and efficiency, together with the strategies and protocols for testing and detection.”
Moreover, Professor Dr. Nenad Dikic advised me that “because of the questions raised by the freediving neighborhood, we are going to attempt to conduct a examine with the antidoping laboratory from Vienna and show doable use or misuse [of benzodiazepines] in sports activities.”
CMAS Disciplinary Committee reaches a verdict
On January 27, 2024, CMAS introduced through Instagram that the CMAS Disciplinary Committee discovered Klovar and Maricic responsible of breaches within the CMAS Code of Ethics. CMAS cited that the athletes’ possession of performance-enhancing substances was able to “altering the result of a contest” and “inflicting hurt to the well being of freedivers.” Vitomir Maricic and Petar Klovar have been fined 5,000EUR every and given a six-month suspension, together with time already served.
Moreover, CMAS introduced that it’s formally prohibiting using sildenafil and benzodiazepines in CMAS underwater sports activities disciplines, together with freediving, and is “within the technique of finishing the testing process guidelines to be efficient and relevant as of the upcoming 2024 worldwide sports activities season.” One Instagram person questioned the protocol to check athletes for sildenafil and benzodiazepines since “on condition that these substances aren’t in WADA record, they can’t be testing within the laboratories accredited by WADA.”
In different phrases, Maricic and Klovar have been suspended for allegedly possessing, relatively than utilizing, benzodiazepines and sildenafil at Vertical Blue 2023. Notably, these substances weren’t formally banned in CMAS competitions till six months after Vertical Blue 2023 concluded.
Makes an attempt to Contain WADA
A brand new petition addressed to WADA seems on Change.org
A new petition, this time geared toward WADA, appeared on Change.org on December 9, 2023.
This time, there was no point out of athlete suspensions. Italian freediver Simona Auteri referred to as for the inclusion of the next medicine on WADA’s Prohibited Record for freediving:
- Benzodiazepines
- Sildenafil
- Hydroxyzine
- Chloral hydrate
- Propofol
- Precedex
- Thioamides
As of August 2024, it has amassed over 1,800 signatures, greater than double the signatures of the earlier petition, together with a name to ban Vitomir Maricic and Petar Klovar from competing.
As many freedivers on social media expressed disbelief that WADA doesn’t presently ban benzodiazepines, I reached out to WADA on to ask if it had ever thought of including benzodiazepines to its Prohibited Record.
A consultant for WADA responded {that a} substance could also be thought of for inclusion in WADA’s Prohibited Record if it meets two of the next three standards:
- It has the potential to boost or enhances sport efficiency.
- It represents an precise or potential well being danger to the athletes.
- It violates the spirit of sport.
The WADA consultant went on to state that “presently, there isn’t a indication that benzodiazepines fulfill two of the three standards. You will need to word that the Record is just not static however evolves based mostly on new scientific proof; subsequently, WADA maintains dialogue with athletes, directors, scientific specialists and different stakeholders and carefully follows the literature on this space to acquire new proof and data because it turns into obtainable.”
What Occurs Subsequent?
I requested one of many Croatians about the way forward for their case following the responsible verdict handed down by the CMAS Disciplinary Committee for a CMAS Code of Ethics violation. He mentioned, “We’re not interesting as a result of there’s nothing to enchantment anymore. We accepted the suspension and the superb as a result of we don’t have the cash to course of it additional; it was the one method to finish the method.”
“It was clear that it wouldn’t make sense anyway since they modified the accusation to an moral violation, which is unimaginable to defend; they made it in a approach that it’s fairly unimaginable to do something. Any details have been utterly irrelevant anymore, but in addition going into any additional particulars about it may endanger us to face one other course of. Mainly, we’re not allowed to say what precisely occurred.“
“We’re additionally fairly disenchanted with official help supplied for the athletes on these events. Plainly it is extremely onerous to get the correct data on the proper time. A few of the essential data we didn’t know or have been wrongly knowledgeable. Ultimately, it’s unhappy that in these circumstances, the athletes don’t actually have the correct instruments or data to deliver justice to gentle. Sports activities legislation appears to be a distinct segment with numerous background politics concerned.”
He ended with a grim statement: “Studying about many different comparable circumstances, it created a bitter feeling that politics comes first, paperwork second, monetary half third, after which perhaps even justice ultimately.”
Temporary Abstract
Throughout Vertical Blue 2023, occasion organizer William Trubridge and two Royal Bahamas law enforcement officials searched the baggage of athletes Vitomir Maricic, Petar Klovar, Sanda Delija, Pepe Salcedo, and competitors commentator Eliette Rutledge.
Trubridge took images of alleged drug blisters present in Maricic’s, Klovar’s, and Delija’s luggage, mentioned to include benzodiazepines, sildenafil, and furosemide. Whereas Vertical Blue’s Instagram publish acknowledged “4 identified PEDs” have been discovered within the baggage, solely furosemide is presently banned by WADA, whereas benzodiazepines are banned in response to the VB Doping Management Coverage and Procedures doc.
Trubridge later confirmed that advisors determined to ban sildenafil beneath the purpose “any prescription-only substance that enhances efficiency in apnea/freediving and for which the athlete doesn’t have a present prescription” after the drug was allegedly discovered within the athletes’ baggage. After the search, Maricic and Klovar underwent an official doping management, and Vertical Blue shared the outcomes of the baggage search in an Instagram publish and posted a YouTube video containing secretly recorded audio of the Croatian athletes.
Within the controversy that adopted, Maricic and Klovar mentioned they have been harmless and that their attorneys have been taking motion. Their official doping management, which was carried out on the day of the search, confirmed no banned substances of their programs. An interview with Trubridge highlighted some inconsistencies in topics akin to when he formally dropped out of the competitors, the provision and transparency of the foundations to athletes earlier than the competitors, and the way substances have been chosen to be thought of performance-enhancing.
Actions taken by the general public included freedivers beginning a petition to CMAS and AIDA Worldwide urging them to ban sildenafil and benzodiazepines and droop Maricic and Klovar. One other petition geared toward WADA wished these substances banned however didn’t title particular athletes. When requested for remark about benzodiazepines, WADA acknowledged that benzodiazepines don’t meet the standards for being banned.
CMAS and AIDA Worldwide started their very own investigations. CMAS first publicly suspended Maricic and Klovar by means of a Presidential Order, then privately lifted the suspension with out an official announcement. After a disciplinary listening to, CMAS suspended the pair of athletes for six months for breaching the CMAS Code of Ethics, stating that their possession of the substances was able to “altering the result of a contest” and “inflicting hurt to the well being of freedivers.” CMAS additionally banned sildenafil and benzodiazepines and mentioned it will cease working with AIDA, calling itself “the ‘dwelling’ to freedivers.”
AIDA Worldwide requested Clear Recreation, an unbiased anti-doping group, to overview its strategies, stating that it will observe scientific guidelines for deciding what’s banned. Quickly after, AIDA Worldwide launched an AIDA Antidoping web page. AIDA’s new Anti-Doping Supervisor additionally expressed that AIDA Worldwide would attempt to examine the use or misuse of benzodiazepines in freediving with an anti-doping laboratory.
After the CMAS Disciplinary Committee discovered them responsible of violating the Code of Ethics, one of many Croatian athletes advised me they gained’t enchantment as a result of monetary prices and the issue of combating an ethics cost. He expressed frustration with the shortage of help and data given to athletes in these conditions, highlighting how onerous it’s to navigate sports activities guidelines. He advised that politics and paperwork typically matter greater than equity in such circumstances, displaying the advanced issues athletes face in doping points and elevating questions on how sports activities organizations deal with these issues.
Remaining Ideas
The controversy surrounding the Vertical Blue 2023 baggage search has raised many questions within the freediving neighborhood about anti-doping processes, athlete rights, and banned substances. Whereas the main freediving organizations, CMAS and AIDA Worldwide, have taken some motion, there are nonetheless many unresolved points.
In my subsequent article, I look at the case of US freediver Tory George and his personal expertise with doping management, a narrative that has largely remained within the background of this controversy.
The third article takes a better scientific have a look at the alleged performance-enhancing medicine that have been discovered in the course of the Vertical Blue baggage search – Vertical Blue-banned benzodiazepines, WADA-banned diuretic furosemide, and sildenafil (Viagra).
The fourth and last article additional investigates the baggage search and doping management whereas analyzing the ethics of your complete course of.
There are nonetheless many lingering questions surrounding the circumstances and dealing with of the Vertical Blue 2023 baggage search itself that deserve additional dialogue, akin to:
- What are the requirements and correct protocols for conducting baggage searches and accumulating proof in an anti-doping program? Have been they adopted on this case?
- Ought to an occasion organizer who can also be initially listed as a competitor be the one conducting searches of fellow athletes? What are the conflicts of curiosity?
- Have been the athletes given correct due course of and the power to completely perceive the allegations in opposition to them from the beginning?
- On what grounds can personal competitions put extra substances on a banned record past what’s prohibited by WADA? How ought to this be communicated to athletes?
- How ought to anti-doping processes and organizations higher contain athletes and the freediving neighborhood to construct transparency and belief?
What makes the scenario much more difficult is the advanced net of conflicts and pursuits. The people concerned typically maintain a number of roles within the freediving world – athletes, educators, competitors organizers, judges, board members of nationwide/worldwide federations, and extra.
The freediving neighborhood continues to attend for solutions as this yr’s competitors season is in full swing. Nevertheless, what stays sure is that freedivers should hold their feelings in examine, fastidiously separate reality from fiction, and prioritize having respectful conversations with one another to guard and preserve the true essence of the game.
