Entourage selection, athlete responsibility, & 'substantial assistance': Lessons from Mitoglou v FIBA doping case

This article examines the case of basketball player Konstantinos Mitoglou, who received a four-year ban for an anti-doping rule violation. Notably, the CAS panel significantly reduced Mitoglou's ban due to the ‘substantial assistance’ he provided in exposing a member of his medical team, Dr. Ilektra Gerou, whose treatments allegedly led to the violation. This rarely happens. The case also contains important lessons about an athlete’s selection of and ongoing relationship with their entourage. Anti-doping rule violations like in this case and many others –  most recently Jannik Sinner^[1] – often stem from the athlete's over-reliance on their surrounding team.

• Background
• Facts
• CAS panel decision
• Key lessons on athlete entourage
  • Always take personal responsibility
  • Exercise due diligence to select the right team
  • Trust but always double-check
  • Prioritise protecting your career
  • Engage in ongoing education and awareness
• Providing ‘substantial assistance’ in discovering or establishing code violations