The Paulo Miyao case: the test at the 2016 Worlds, the suspension and the lost title
Black belt tested positive for clomiphene, was suspended for two years by USADA and had three months added for competing while suspended
Paulo Miyao was suspended for two years for an anti-doping rule violation and lost his 2016 world title. The case began on June 5 of that year, at the IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Long Beach, California: an in-competition test run by USADA, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, found clomiphene. At that tournament Miyao had won light-featherweight gold, beating Ary Farias in the final.
What clomiphene is
Clomiphene is a hormone and metabolic modulator, banned at all times under the World Anti-Doping Code and the USADA protocol applied to the 2016 Worlds. The IBJJF is not a signatory to the code, but it contracted the agency to run testing at the tournament.
The dispute over jurisdiction
After being notified of the result, Miyao challenged USADA’s jurisdiction over the case. An independent arbitrator from the American Arbitration Association heard both sides and upheld the agency’s jurisdiction over the test.
The sanction
USADA announced the sanction on May 10, 2017. The two-year suspension counted from September 29, 2016, the date he agreed to stop competing in IBJJF-related events. His results since June 1, 2016, the day Worlds began, were disqualified, with forfeiture of medals, points and prizes, including the world title. The IBJJF agreed to impose the sanction.
Three more months
On November 27, 2018, USADA announced three more months on top of the sanction. According to the agency, Miyao competed while suspended, on September 8, 2018, at the World Grappling Championship sanctioned by United World Wrestling, a signatory to the code. USADA noted that he mistakenly believed he was eligible for the event, which reduced his degree of fault. The sanction grew to 27 months, and his results from that date on were also disqualified.
Miyao returned to IBJJF tournaments in 2019, the year he reached the light-featherweight final at Worlds.
The details are in USADA’s statements from May 2017 and November 2018.
