A BWF Doping Hearing Panel has cleared Ratchanok Intanon of any anti-doping rule violation and the Badminton World Federation (BWF) has lifted her provisional suspension, imposed four days ago – allowing her to participate in competitions with immediate effect.

This decision was made after an expedited hearing on 16 July 2016 to determine whether the Thai player had committed an anti-doping rule violation following an Adverse Analytical Finding of a urine sample which Intanon gave on 15 May at the TOTAL BWF Thomas & Uber Cup Finals in Kunshan, China.

The Adverse Analytical Finding was due to the presence of Triamcinolone Acetonide in Intanon’s sample. Triamcinolone Acetonide is a Class S9. Glucocorticoid and is a Specified Substance prohibited in-competition under the 2016 WADA Prohibited Substance List when administered orally, intravenously, intramuscularly or rectally.

During the hearing, conducted by video conference, the athlete’s medical background and records of treatment were submitted to the Panel. This evidence, together with testimony from an expert witness, established to the satisfaction of the Panel that the substance administered on 13 May 2016, before the competition, was part of ongoing medical treatment of the athlete and that the route of administration of the substance was intra-tendinous.

The Panel concluded that because the route of administration of the substance in the medical treatment process was intra-tendinous – an authorised administration route – no violation of the regulations was committed.

Intanon and the Badminton Association of Thailand (BAT) were notified on Sunday 10 July of the Adverse Analytical Finding and she was provisionally suspended on 13 July, under Article 7.9.3 of the BWF Anti-Doping Regulations, at which point an expedited hearing process was started.

The Panel’s reasoned decision can be accessed from the BWF website (linked here).