The athlete, a strong contender for gold at Sochi 2014 when the sport makes its Paralympic Games debut, served the suspension between March 6 and April 6 this year after returning an adverse analytical finding for Buprenorphine in a urine sample provided at the 2013 IPC Alpine Skiing Snowboard Cross World Cup in Sochi.

Although Shea received no financial sanction, the medals, points and prizes he secured at the competition in Russia will be disqualified, including the silver he won there, as the substance is included on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2013 Prohibited List and therefore banned under the IPC Anti-Doping Code.

Shea exercised his right to a hearing during which he provided evidence to explain how the substance had entered his body and the IPC panel who heard his case was satisfied he had not taken the drug, which is classed as a narcotic, to enhance his performance or mask the use of a performance-enhancing chemical.

However, each athlete is liable for substances that enter their body and an anti-doping rule violation occurs whenever a prohibited substance is found in a specimen, regardless of whether the athlete intentionally or unintentionally used a prohibited drug or was negligent or otherwise at fault.

"As a signatory of the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC), the IPC remains committed to a doping free sporting environment at all levels," read a statement from the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement.

"The IPC, together with the International Federations and the National Paralympic Committees, established the IPC Anti-Doping Code to prevent doping in sport for Paralympic athletes, in the spirit of fair play."

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