Tony André Hansen
Encyclopedia
Tony Andre Hansen (born 23 February 1979) is a Norwegian
show jumping
competitor.
in Beijing
, Hansen initially won the bronze medal
as part of the Norwegian team in team jumping, together with Morten Djupvik
, Stein Endresen
, and Geir Gulliksen
.
However, after failing the first of two doping tests, neither Hansen or his horse, Camiro, was allowed to participate in the individual jumping competition. The International Federation for Equestrian Sports
(FEI) provisionally suspended the horse after detecting the illegal substance capsaicin
in his urine. If the second, or B, test was also found positive for capsaicin, Norway would likely lose the bronze medal the equestrian team won on 18 August 2008.
On 28 August it was announced that the B test was also positive. A hearing on the doping charges was held in Lausanne
, Switzerland
on 6 September; the FEI then had 28 days to make a decision with regards to the charges. Without new evidence to clear Hansen, he and the other members of the Norwegian Olympic equestrian team would lose the bronze medals.
As the FEI hearings began Hansen was cautiously optimistic, stating that the amounts of capsaicin found on his horse "could have entered the horse's system without any doping substance itself being used". However, on 22 December 2008, the FEI returned their verdict: Hansen was found guilty of the doping charge and he will be suspended from the sport for four and a half months. The Norwegian team was stripped of their bronze medal; the Swiss team, who placed fourth, are now the bronze medal winners. Hansen has appealed the verdict to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
; their ruling is expected by May 2009.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
show jumping
Show jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
competitor.
Beijing Olympics Controversy
At the 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Hansen initially won the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
as part of the Norwegian team in team jumping, together with Morten Djupvik
Morten Djupvik
Morten Djupvik is a Norwegian show jumping competitor.At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Djupvik originally won the bronze medal as part of the Norwegian team in team jumping, together with Stein Endresen, Geir Gulliksen, and Tony Andre Hansen...
, Stein Endresen
Stein Endresen
Stein Endresen is a Norwegian show jumping competitor.At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Endresen originally won the bronze medal as part of the Norwegian team in team jumping, together with Morten Djupvik, Geir Gulliksen, and Tony Andre Hansen...
, and Geir Gulliksen
Geir Gulliksen
Geir Gulliksen is a Norwegian show jumping competitor.At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Gulliksen originally won the bronze medal as part of the Norwegian team in team jumping, together with Morten Djupvik, Stein Endresen, and Tony Andre Hansen...
.
However, after failing the first of two doping tests, neither Hansen or his horse, Camiro, was allowed to participate in the individual jumping competition. The International Federation for Equestrian Sports
International Federation for Equestrian Sports
The Fédération Équestre Internationale or in English, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, is the international governing body of equestrian sports. It recognizes ten international disciplines...
(FEI) provisionally suspended the horse after detecting the illegal substance capsaicin
Capsaicin
Capsaicin 2CHCH=CH4CONHCH2C6H3-4--3- ) is the active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus Capsicum. It is an irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact...
in his urine. If the second, or B, test was also found positive for capsaicin, Norway would likely lose the bronze medal the equestrian team won on 18 August 2008.
On 28 August it was announced that the B test was also positive. A hearing on the doping charges was held in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
on 6 September; the FEI then had 28 days to make a decision with regards to the charges. Without new evidence to clear Hansen, he and the other members of the Norwegian Olympic equestrian team would lose the bronze medals.
As the FEI hearings began Hansen was cautiously optimistic, stating that the amounts of capsaicin found on his horse "could have entered the horse's system without any doping substance itself being used". However, on 22 December 2008, the FEI returned their verdict: Hansen was found guilty of the doping charge and he will be suspended from the sport for four and a half months. The Norwegian team was stripped of their bronze medal; the Swiss team, who placed fourth, are now the bronze medal winners. Hansen has appealed the verdict to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is an international arbitration body set up to settle disputes related to sport. Its headquarters are in Lausanne and its courts are located in New York, Sydney and Lausanne, Switzerland...
; their ruling is expected by May 2009.