Two football players form Laval University have been suspended for two years after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs.
The Canadian Center for Ethics in Sports (CCES) announced that the two players, Michael Abraham, a second-year line backer, and first-year offensive linebacker, Steve Vachon, would receive sanctions for the use of steroids.
According to a press release issued by the university, the violations were found after 32 teammates participated in a doping control test last February.
Abrahams’ urine sample tested positive for 19-norandrosterone — a substance banned on the World Anti Doping Agency’s 2011 Prohibited List.
Vachon’s urine sample returned with a presence of methandienone.
Both athletes have acknowledged the sanction and have waived rights to a hearing.
The football team has tentatively suspended both athletes from all activities; however, they are continuing to support and provide the resources necessary to enable each player to deal with this situation on administrative and personal levels.
In a statement released by the university, Abraham said, “I am saddened and disappointed that my football career has ended in this manner. I sincerely regret having implicated by time and the Universite Laval in this sad state of affairs.”
He continued by offering an apology and lesson to all student-athletes considering consuming food supplements, even if they are available over the counter.
Third-year global politics student Tyler Amos played soccer for Carleton intramurals this year.
He said, “I think performance enhancing drugs degrades the purity of the sport because it becomes about who took the most drugs instead of who is the best. The Olympics have set a pretty clear example that this is not okay, but people continue to do it.”
According to an article in the National Post, Laval head coach Glen Constatin told his team to keep their heads held high.
“We’ve had 83 tests this off-season, only two that came back positive. We want people to understand this isn’t common. It’s one isolated incident and we can’t let discredit what has been accomplished here.”
Laval isn’t the only school that has been forced to suspend players for doping. Last year, the University of Waterloo suspended its football program when nine of 62 players tested positive for steroid use, according to the CBC.
The university declined to comment.