Charline Van Snick didn’t take cocaine

The toxicological examination of Charline Van Snick is negative according to Prof. Jan Tytgat (KUL).
Charline Van Snick is not a consumer of cocaine, according to the toxicological examination of the hair of the judoka carried out by the laboratory of Jan Tytgat, Professor in Toxicology and Pharmacology at the University of Leuven (KUL), stated this Tuesday at a press conference organized by the judoka, who was controlled positive to cocaine in the last world championships.

"A section of hair of 28 cm has taken from Charline Van Snick on 10 October. "According to a segment (2cm closest to the root) to establish a profile covering the period from August 10th till October 10th, the toxicological examination revealed the presence of 2.3 picograms of cocaine per milligram", explained Professor Tytgat, tha was consulted by the judoka for her defence. "This is 200 times lower than the usual limit tending to show regular consumption. "A second segment (26 cm), covering the period between June, 2011 and August 2013, revealed for its part no trace of cocaine, thus corroborating the several negative tests done by Charline during this time and also proving that she was not a long term consumer."

According to an information sent by the Montreal laboratory to Jean-Luc Flagothier, lawyer of Van Snick, it existed in the metabolite of cocaine the most important found in the urine of the - 48 kg bronze medallist, that was collected on 26 August, a rate of 276 nanograms per milliliter. "Usually, in medical literature, one considers that the threshold of consumption lies at 300 picograms per milliliter which is 1000 times higher in the analysis report. Which tends to demonstrate that Charline was exposed to an isolated and unintentional way", concluded the professor. 

The B sample, which will be analyzed at the request of the lawyer of the judoka, must be done by the same laboratory of Montreal before November 15. "If it is positive, we will adapt our defence against this result. The sanction of international authorities, even with the involuntariness explaining the presence of cocaine, can range from a reprimand to a two years suspension. In this case, for me, her medal would be of course withdrawn, concluded the lawyer. (DH Sports: Photo Belga)