On 17 December 2024, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Board of Appeal Classification panel issued a decision upholding the charge of intentional misrepresentation brought by the ITTF Integrity Unit, on behalf of the ITTF, against Mr. Esteban Herrault (FRA).
As a result, Mr. Herrault has been disqualified from all competitions in which he participated from 10 September 2018 to 2 September 2023.
For the full IPC Board of Appeal Classification decision, click here.
As part of the same matter, Mr. Herrault’s federation, Fédération Française Handisport (FFH), was charged by the Integrity Unit under paragraph 31.3 of the ITTF Para Table Tennis Classification Rules with failing to re-submit Mr. Herrault for Medical Review. In its Notice of Charge, the Unit set out what it considered a proportionate sanction to be:
- Fine of EUR 500; and
- Warning in respect of FFH’s management of Medical Review Requests for all athletes under its jurisdiction.
FFH chose not to contest the charge, which amounts to an acceptance, saying it would be, “…even more vigilant in the future about providing athletes with the correct information under the Classification Rules.”