Swiss Sports Tribunal serves age group triathlete eight-year ban for repeated anti-doping violations

A Swiss age group triathlete has been banned from competition for eight years following an anti-doping violation. Michele Caverzasio was already serving a three-year ban that is set to end in June 2026, but the Swiss Sports Tribunal extended this suspension when he was caught ordering more banned substances after the initial incident. His new eight-year ban will begin at the close of the three-year period, which is set to end on June 17, 2026.

Caverzasio never tested positive for banned substances, but in October 2022, Swiss authorities performing a postal inspection found a package addressed to him that contained four vials of a growth hormone called Pharmatropin. After looking into the case, the Swiss Sports Tribunal issued Caverzasio a three-year ban that started in June 2023.

Just months after starting his ban, Caverzasio was caught once again ordering the same substance. He reportedly told the Swiss Sports Tribunal that this additional shipment was not new, but rather that it was part of his original order from 2022. These claims were proven false, as a team from Swiss Sport Integrity conducted an investigation that found that Caverzasio had committed anti-doping violations on multiple occasions while serving his suspension from competition.

Swiss Sport Integrity generally deals in anti-doping matters concerning professional athletes, but the organization has made it clear through Caverzasio’s case that anti-doping regulations apply to all athletes. Caverzasio is barred from competing in all sports, not just triathlon or other endurance events, and although it was served to him from a Swiss entity, it is a global ban. In addition to the ban, Caverzasio was fined C$800.