By Paul Osborne

Nicklas Bäckström has agreed to drop his appeal against an anti-doping violation at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games ©Getty ImagesSwedish ice hockey star Nicklas Bäckström has agreed to drop his appeal against the International Olympic Committee's (IOC), following their claim he violated the World Anti-Doping Code during the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

In return, the Swede will be issued with just a reprimand, the minimum applicable sanction permitted by the WADA Code, for the violation.

In a joint statement from the IOC, WADA, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and Bäckström, they concluded that his long-standing appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has come to an end today.

Bäckström, who plies his club trade for National Hockey League outfit Washington Capitals, tested positive for pseudoephedrine on February 19 after a urine sample given following Sweden's quarter-final clash with Slovenia.

He was then suspended from the final against Canada, where the North Americans ran out 3-0 winners.

The IOC ruled later that Bäckström had not intended to enhance his performance after it was revealed how Swedish team doctor Bjorn Waldeback permitted the athlete to use allergy medicine Zyrtec-D, which contains the banned substance pseudoephedrine.

The ruling meant that the Swede remained entitled to receive the silver medal won by the Swedish team and the diploma awarded for men's ice hockey.

He received both the diploma and the silver medal on August 28, 2014 in a ceremony in Gävle, Sweden.

Nicklas Bäckström's positive doping result came after his team's quarter-final victory over Slovenia at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games, and ruled him out of the final against Canada ©Getty ImagesNicklas Bäckström's positive doping result came after his team's quarter-final victory over Slovenia at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games, and ruled him out of the final against Canada ©Getty Images



On April 2, Bäckström appealed against the IOC Disciplinary Commission decision to CAS, challenging that an anti-doping rule violation had occurred.

During this appeal, which concluded today, WADA filed its own appeal to CAS against an October 9, 2014 decision issued by the IIHF Disciplinary Committee which had concluded that Bäckström had not violated the WADA Code.

Following a discussion between all parties, Bäckström agreed to drop his appeal against the original ruling which determined that he had committed an anti-doping offence during Sochi 2014.

In turn, the parties agreed to resolve WADA's appeal against the IIHF Disciplinary Committee, on the basis that Bäckström receive a reprimand for his actions.

"Bäckström, WADA, the IOC and the IIHF are pleased that this matter has now been concluded, and wish to clarify that at no time was Bäckström's receipt of his Olympic silver medal at issue in the proceedings before the Court of Arbitration for Sport," a joint statement read.

"WADA, the IOC and the IIHF take this opportunity to state that there is no indication that Bäckström intended to enhance his sport performance by taking a prohibited substance...

"That the prohibited substance (PSE) was contained within a product Bäckström was taking for medical reasons, that Bäckström relied on the specific advice of his team doctor that his use of the product would not give rise to a positive sample, and that he openly disclosed the product on the doping control form at the time of the doping control."

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