Court of Arbitration for Sport confirms 8 year ban imposed on Turkish weightlifter Batu Han Yuksel
The International Testing Agency (ITA), leading an independent anti-doping program on behalf of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), reports that CAS has dismissed the appeal filed by Turkish weightlifter Batu Han Yuksel against the decision rendered by the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS ADD).
The ITA, on behalf of the IWF, reports that a sample collected by the ITA from Turkish weightlifter Batu Han Yuksel during an out-of-competition doping control on 28 July 2023 returned an adverse analytical finding¹ (AAF) for oxymetholone metabolite.
Oxymetholone is listed under class S1.1 Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) according to the prohibited list of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). It is prohibited at all times (in- and out-of-competition) and is classified as a non-specified substance. Oxymetholone has potent muscle-building and strenght-increasing properties.
The AAF was considered as the athlete’s second Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV), therefore triggering an eight-year sanction pursuant to Article 10.9.1.1 of the IWF anti-doping rules.
After completion of the results management process, the ITA referred the matter to CAS ADD for adjudication. On 29 August 2025, CAS ADD confirmed that the athlete had committed an ADRV for the presence and use of a prohibited substance in accordance with article 2.1 and 2.2 of the IWF anti-doping rules and sanctioned Batu Han Yuksel with a period of ineligibility of 8 years and the disqualification of all results obtained by the athlete from 28 July 2023 until 29 August 2023 (date of the provisional suspension).
The athlete appealed the CAS ADD decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). On 21 April 2026, CAS dismissed the athlete’s appeal, and confirmed the CAS ADD decision.
Consequently, the athlete remains sanctioned with an 8-year period of ineligibility which will be effective from 27 July 2027 (i.e. after the period of ineligibility for the first ADRV has been served) until 26 July 2035.
The ITA will not comment further on this matter.
The original press release can be found here:https://ita.sport/news/court-of-arbitration-for-sport-confirms-eight-year-ban-imposed-on-turkish-weightlifter-batu-han-yuksel/
