A seven-month saga concluded on Wednesday when the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) chose not to appeal against the decision of Anti-Doping Norway (Adno) that the player was faultless. But the landmark case has highlighted the risks to footballers of environmental exposure to banned substances and opened up the possibility of further controversies emerging around the thousands of synthetic pitches across Europe. The spectre of a doping violation had not been on anyone’s minds when Vålerenga faced LSK Kvinner at LSK-Hall in Lillestrøm, near Oslo, on 22 April. But a routine drug test found four players from each side had returned samples containing the prohibited substance 1,3-dimethylbutylamine (DMBA). One of the samples, belonging to the Vålerenga player in question, exceeded the Wada reporting threshold of 50 ng/ml. It triggered an investigation that baffled officials from both clubs and Adno, which found no common denominators in food, drink or other supplements consumed by the athletes involved. The affected player, who has chosen to remain anonymous, told the Guardian of the anxiety brought on by learning she was accused of a violation. “It was a terrible moment,” she said. “It was a very upsetting experience and I couldn’t really understand what was going on.
” The player was allowed to continue her career while the inquiry continued. She believes the shadow it cast may have affected some of her performances and was deeply relieved when an environmental investigation, which concluded in July, finally discovered the unusual cause. It determined, after testing water samples and substances from multiple sites within the hall, that the shredded tyre granulate – known popularly as rubber crumb – on the pitch had contained the DMBA, which had been transferred to the players during the game. DMBA is a synthetic substance that stimulates the central nervous system and is sometimes used in dietary supplements, although it is banned in Norway and the European Union. It was known, through peer-reviewed scientific studies, to be a product that can occur through breakdown of the rubber-type granulate and there is a degree of frustration that this was not picked up on during the investigation. The player was found to have borne no fault or negligence in the first known case in elite sport where environmental exposure has been responsible for a perceived violation. “I’ve always known I did nothing wrong and I’m grateful to Adno for tracing the source to LSK-Hallen,” she said. “Still, the process and outcome feel somewhat arbitrary.
