© Copyright – 2019 – Athletics Illustrated
St. John’s, NFLD native David Freake tested positive for EPO, a blood booster, ephedrine a stimulant and other banned substances. He has been handed a four-year suspension from the sport and has apparently waived his right to appeal the ruling.
Freake was not an international-level athlete, but more sub-elite or age-group competitive with personal bests of 15:37 in the 5K, 31:07 for 10K and 68:48 in the 21.1K half-marathon distance. His marathon best is 2:33:45. All of his personal bests were run during the 2015-2017 seasons.
The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced that Freake received the sanction after his urine sample, collected during in-competition doping control on May 26, 2019, at the 2019 Ottawa Marathon, revealed the presence of GW501516, 2-4-dinitrophenol and recombinant EPO, all prohibited substances, and ephedrine, a specified substance.
In response to the CCES’s notification of the adverse analytical finding, Freake is banned until October 10, 2023. During the sanction period he is ineligible to participate in any capacity with any sport signatory to the Canadian Anti-Doping Program (CADP), including training with teammates.
Perhaps he will return the water bottles and keychains he won at local races, so they can be given to the rightful owners.
