Traces of the steroid colstebol were detected in an out of competition urine sample given by Igor Stella on March 4 - three days before the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Opening Ceremony.

The 32-year-old was sent home from the Games after the positive test.

As well as being suspended, he has been fined €1,125 (£939/$1,564) by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), which is the international federation for ice sledge hockey.

The Italian Paralympic Association last week claimed in a statement the traces of clostebol came from a cream used by Stella for the treatment of bedsores.

"He didn't know that it was anabolic steroids in the cream - he got it in a hospital in Milan a month ago, they didn't tell him what it contained," the statement added.

The Italian ice sledge hockey team, minus Igor Stella, have performed well at the Games and have a chance of finishing fifth overall ©Getty Images



The IPC said the "reduced sanction acknowledges that the athlete knows how the substance entered his system and that the Hearing Panel accepts it was not to enhance his performance".

Italy play the Czech Republic tomorrow in a classification match to decide who finishes fifth and sixth in the ice sledge hockey competition.

Stella's positive test is the first of the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympics.

There were six failed tests in the latter stages of last month's Olympics, where two ice hockey players and one Italian were among those implicated.

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