Ukrainian Paralympian Roman Bondarenko has been sanctioned by the International Paralympic Committee for three years due to a doping violation, the IPC announced on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Bondarenko had been provisionally suspended since September 6 while a full investigation took place.
He is a three-time Paralympian, competing at the 2016 and 2020 Paralympics before attending the Paris Games. He made multiple finals in both Rio and Tokyo, though he did not earn any medals.
In a statement, the IPC shared that Bondarenko returned an adverse analytical finding for prohibited substances in a urine sample provided after the men’s 200 freestyle S2 final at the 2024 Paralympic Games. The IPC identified the substances as methamphetamine (D-) and amfetamine, which are on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List as Class S6A, non-specified stimulants.
Bondarenko accepted the sanction, which prohibits him from competition or other sporting activities—other than authorized anti-doping education or rehabilitation programs—for three years. Bondarenko’s suspension is backdated to the beginning of his provisional suspension, meaning his ban lasts from September 6, 2024, to September 5, 2027.
In addition to the three-year suspension, all Bondarenko’s results from the Paris Paralympics are disqualified, as are any results from between the sample collection date, September 2, and the beginning of the provisional suspension. Any medals, points, or prizes earned as a result of his swims are also void.
