31. Juli 2003  
Moutier/Schweiz  
Artistic Gymnastics

Deferr: Dispossession of World Medal

Gervasio Deferr (ESP)

The International Gymnastics Federation announced yesterday, that the Spanish Olympic champion (vault, 2000 Sydney) Gervasio Deferr will be stripped of his last world silver medal (floor, Debrecen 2002) because of a positiv drug test (marijuana) prior to world championships last autumn.
Deferr was test positive for marijuana at both the Spanish Championships and subsequent French International. The Spanish Sports Council suspended Deferr for three months in the spring of 2003., but now the FIG Disciplinary Commission announced Deferr's three month suspension would be retroactive to the date of the first test....
FIG statement: 'The exclusion operates retrospectively from 19 October 2002, being the date of the first drug test, in accordance with the Doping Control Rules. The results achieved in the World Cup events in Paris and Stuttgart, as well as those of the World Championships in Debrecen will be removed from the lists. The sanction also required the gymnast to refund any prize money and to give the medals back.'
Consequence: Bronze medalist on floor Jordan Jovtchev at the Debrecen World Champs 2002 Debrecen will receive Deferr's silver, and fourth-placed Paul Hamm will receive the bronze medal a posteriori.(source: fig