Olympic bronze for Swiss as doping appeal fails | Horsetalk

Switzerland has gained a showjumping bronze medal after the country's Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Norwegian Tony Andre Hansen against his disqualification from the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Tony Andre Hansen and Camiro in Hong Kong. © Kit Houghton/FEI

Equi-Block, which contains capsaicin, the substance at the centre of four Olympic doping cases.

Hansen's horse Camiro tested positive for the prohibited substance Capsaicin during the 2008 Olympic equestrian events in Hong Kong and he was provisionally suspended on August 21, 2008. The case was heard by a three-member panel of the FEI Tribunal, which issued its final decision on December 22, 2008. Hansen was suspended for four and a half months (135 days), from August 21, 2008, to January 2, 2009, and was also disqualified from all placings with Camiro at the 2008 Olympic Games.

Hansen appealed the FEI Tribunal decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), based in Lausanne, Switzerland. On December 4, 2009, CAS dismissed the appeal and upheld the final decision of the FEI Tribunal.

Hansen subsequently appealed the CAS decision to the Swiss Supreme Court, but that appeal was rejected in the Court's decision of July 30. The FEI was notified of the decision on Monday. There is no appeal against a decision of the Supreme Court.

As a result of the legal procedure, the Norwegians are stripped of the jumping team bronze medal, which will be awarded to the Swiss team that originally finished in fourth place at the 2008 Olympic Games.

The Supreme Court ordered Hansen to pay costs of CHF5000 (Swiss Francs) and legal fees to the FEI of CHF6000.