After a year, Puerto Rican Libero, Gregory Berrios, has finally found the light at the end of the tunnel.
In case you didn’t know, Berrious received a one year suspension due to doping at the V Pan American Cup . He was tested positive for the prohibited substance sibutramine, a ingredient found in contaminated dietary supplements. Berrios missed the 2010 World Championship after the FIVB banned him for 3 months which started July 13th, 2010.
On September 15, 2010, the it got a little more complicated when WADA filed an appeal to The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Then on March 24th, 2011, CAS increased the ban to one year. Luckily, the period of ineligibility will commence as early as the date of the sample collection, which was conducted on May 27th, 2010.
The CAS Panel “believes that Berrios did not intend to cheat or enhance his sport performance. It is therefore unfortunate that he made this one-time mistake that is inconsistent with his otherwise clean anti-doping record. The Panel must nevertheless apply a sanction that is proportionate to the quite significant lack of diligence Berrios demonstrated in purchasing and ingesting the product.”
As a result of this decision, the Puerto Rican libero has received the GO SIGNAL to rejoin the Puerto Rican National Team in the 2011 World League which kicks off on May 27th.
This is Puerto Rico’s first appearance in the World League and we’re glad that Berrios will be part of it!
Be safe, be cautious and be careful everyone!
(image: FIVB)