Summary of the decision against Mati Alaver, EST On 2 January 2020, the Independent Anti-Doping Delegate of the International Ski Federation ("FIS") issued her decision in the doping matter of Mati Alaver. The Estonian cross-country ski coach was declared ineligible for a period of four years until 27 August 2023. The decision has not been appealed within the applicable deadline and became binding and enforceable. 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 and other Estonian athletes, and was led by Estonian ski coach Mati Alaver. During the investigations, Mati Alaver confessed having established and mediated the contacts between German sports physician Dr. Mark Schmidt and certain cross-country athletes on whom Dr. Schmidt and his assistants performed blood doping. According to the results of the conducted investigations, Mati Alaver also coordinated the times and places of the blood treatments of certain Estonian athletes. Furthermore, Mati Alaver asked Dr. Mark Schmidt for the supply of Human Growth Hormone for regeneration purposes, which he then distributed among the athletes. Moreover, it was on Mati Alaver's recommendation that the athletes drank large amounts of salt water and took albumin to conceal the blood doping. On 28 August 2019, the FIS notified the Estonian Ski Association of the opening of disciplinary proceedings against Mati Alaver and provisionally suspended him. The suspension was not challenged. On 12 November 2019, the FIS charged Mati Alaver with the commission of repeated antidoping rule violations, in particular of Article 2.9 of the FIS Anti-Doping Rules 2016 for assisting, conspiring and covering up or any other type of intentional complicity involving an anti-doping rule violation. As a consequence, the FIS requested his ineligibility of four years as a sanction. Since Mati Alaver accepted the charges made and consequences proposed by the FIS, a hearing was no longer required. Instead, based on Article 7.10 of the FIS Anti-Doping Rules, the Independent AntiDoping Delegate of the FIS confirmed the anti-doping rule violations and the consequences imposed by the FIS. According to her decision of 2 January 2020, Mati Alaver has been declared ineligible for a period of four years, which 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. The already served provisional sanction since 28 August 2019 has to be deducted. Mati Alaver is therefore banned from all sports-related activities until 27 August 2023. This decision has not been appealed within the respective deadline and has thus become binding and enforceable.