Olympic Champion Faces Lengthy Ban After Faking Medical Documents and Second Doping Violation Uncovered

Equestrian competitor Eric Lamaze, an Olympic gold medallist from 2008, has received a ban from the sport until 2031 following a second four-year suspension for doping violations, as ruled by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The court’s panel determined that the Canadian athlete must serve his latest suspension for evading doping control measures in the Netherlands back in 2021, as stated by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI).

This new ban will not take effect until the conclusion of a previous four-year suspension that expires in September 2027, as imposed by the FEI.

The FEI noted, “During the CAS proceedings, Mr Lamaze submitted falsified medical documents, which warranted this four-year ineligibility period.”

Lamaze clinched individual gold and team silver in jumping at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, along with an individual bronze at the 2016 Rio Games.

A veteran of three Olympic Games, Lamaze was unable to compete in the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Olympics due to the repercussions of positive cocaine tests.

In 2022, he was appointed as the technical adviser and head of national jumping teams by Equestrian Canada.

At 56 years old, Lamaze will be 63 when his current suspension concludes.

The FEI has also imposed a fine of 15,000 Swiss francs (approximately $26,080) on him, in addition to requiring him to cover 12,000 Swiss francs ($20,860) towards the governing body’s legal costs and the expenses incurred during the arbitration process.