Summary of the decision against Algo Kärp, EST
On 20 January 2020, the Independent Anti-Doping Delegate of the International Ski Federation
("FIS") issued her decision in the doping matter of Algo Kärp. The Estonian cross-country skier
was declared ineligible for a period of two years and six months until 5 September 2021. All
competitive results obtained since 22 February 2017 are disqualified.

On 27 February 2019, at the 2019 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Seefeld, Austria, the
Austrian police raided several athletes on the suspicion of blood doping. Simultaneously, the German
police searched the medical practice of Dr. Mark Schmidt in Erfurt, Germany. Following the incidents
in Seefeld and Erfurt, law enforcement authorities of Germany, Austria and Estonia initiated criminal
investigations and proceedings against a number of athletes and support personnel, including
members of the privately sponsored Estonian sports team "Haanja". Team "Haanja" mainly consisted
of Estonian cross-country skiers, including Algo Kärp.

On 4 March 2019, on his own initiative and before he became a direct subject of criminal
investigations, Algo Kärp confessed in the Estonian media that he had used blood doping after he had
received the contact details of the German sports physician Dr. Mark Schmidt from the Estonian ski
coach Mati Alaver in 2016. His confessions concerned the withdrawal of blood from his circulatory
system and the subsequent re-injection of autologous blood into his body. In order to set off the
increased blood values, Algo Kärp drank large amounts of water with a high salt content after the
competition and took albumin to cover up the blood doping. Furthermore, Algo Kärp admitted a
treatment with insulin, a prohibited substance under the WADA Prohibited List.

On 6 March 2019, the FIS notified Algo Kärp of the opening of disciplinary proceedings and
provisionally suspended him. The suspension was not challenged. On 21 November 2019, the FIS
charged Algo Kärp with the commission of repeated anti-doping rule violations, in particular of Article
2.2 of the FIS Anti-Doping Rules 2016 with reference to M1 of the WADA Prohibited List for the use of
a prohibited method (i.e. manipulation of blood and blood components by withdrawals and reinjections of the athlete's own blood by several occasions between 2016 and 2018), Article 2.2 of the
FIS Anti-Doping Rules 2016, S4, para. 5.4 of the WADA Prohibited List for the use of a prohibited
substance (namely Insulin), and Article 2.9 of the FIS Anti-Doping Rules 2016 for conspiring and
covering up repeated anti-doping rule violations. As a consequence, the FIS requested his ineligibility
of four years as a sanction.

On 12 December 2019, Algo Kärp requested a lower sanction because of his voluntary cooperation
with all investigative bodies from the very beginning. He repeated his confession of the anti-doping
rule violations and did not request a hearing to be held. A hearing was therefore no longer required.
Instead, based on Article 7.10 of the FIS Anti-Doping Rules, the Independent Anti-Doping Delegate of

 the FIS was competent to determine the period of ineligibility. Taking Algo Kärp's confession and
cooperation into account, the Independent Anti-Doping Delegate of the FIS decided on 20 January
2020 to reduce Algo Kärp's period of ineligibility by one year and six months. This means that he is
barred from participating in any sports competition or other activity (other than authorised anti-doping
education or rehabilitation programs) authorised or organised by FIS or any other signatory of the
WADA code, a signatory’s member organisation, or in any other sports-related activity as defined in
Article 10.12 of the FIS Anti-Doping Rules for a period of two years and six months. The already
served provisional sanction since 6 March 2019 has to be deducted. Algo Kärp is therefore banned
from all sports-related activities until 5 September 2021. Algo Kärp’s competitive results obtained since
22 February 2017 (i.e. the day of the first re-injection of his own blood) are disqualified with all
resulting consequences, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes. This decision is still
appealable by WADA.