UKAD confirms Penkywicz ban

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) have officially confirmed that Sean Penkywicz of Leigh Centurions has been banned for two years from all sport.

The former Welsh international submitted a sample following an out-of-competition test on December 5 2014.

The UKAD have confirmed that this sample was tested by the Drug Control Centre at King’s College London, and was discovered to contain no prohibited substances.

UKAD then instructed the laboratory on January 27 2015 to re-examine the same sample, specifically looking for Growth Hormone Releasing Factors.

It was subsequently found to contain Hormone Releasing Peptide-6 (GHRP-6).

Growth Hormone Releasing Factors are classified under section S2 of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) Prohibited List.

This is only the second finding of its kind in the UK for GHRP-6.

“Under the World Anti-Doping Code, all samples taken from elite athletes can be stored for up to ten years, which enables us to go back at any time and retest that same sample,” UKAD’s Chief Executive Nicole Sapstead said.

“The retrospective analysis of samples, together with the Athletes Biological Passport (ABP) and intelligence led testing, are all vital tools in UKAD’s mission to protect clean sport and catch those who believe they can cheat and win.

“UKAD’s message is clear. Doping in sport will not be tolerated. We will use every tool we can to protect clean athletes and support them to compete, and win, clean.”

Penkywicz is been banned from all sport from 9 April 2015 to 8 April 2017. The full written decision can be found under current rule violations.