Tony André Hansen

Beijing Olympics Controversy

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Hansen initially won the bronze medal as part of the Norwegian team in team jumping, together with Morten Djupvik, Stein Endresen, and Geir Gulliksen.

However, after failing the first of two doping tests, neither Hansen or his horse, Camiro, was allowed to participate in the individual jumping competition. The International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) provisionally suspended the horse after detecting the illegal substance capsaicin in his urine. If the second, or B, test was also found positive for capsaicin, Norway would likely lose the bronze medal the equestrian team won on 18 August 2008.

On 28 August it was announced that the B test was also positive. A hearing on the doping charges was held in Lausanne, Switzerland on 6 September; the FEI then had 28 days to make a decision with regards to the charges. Without new evidence to clear Hansen, he and the other members of the Norwegian Olympic equestrian team would lose the bronze medals.

As the FEI hearings began Hansen was cautiously optimistic, stating that the amounts of capsaicin found on his horse "could have entered the horse's system without any doping substance itself being used". However, on 22 December 2008, the FEI returned their verdict: Hansen was found guilty of the doping charge and he will be suspended from the sport for four and a half months. The Norwegian team was stripped of their bronze medal; the Swiss team, who placed fourth, are now the bronze medal winners. Hansen has appealed the verdict to the Court of Arbitration for Sport; their ruling is expected by May 2009.

Personal life

He is the guitarist and background singer of the band Ovation.

Hansen is married to moderator Jessica Almenäs. The couple has a son (* 2009).

Horses