"I live in a nightmare that can not be woken from"

It is November 8, 2021 and Erik Flood, 23, is in Stockholm with his Köping Stars to play a match against Fryshuset in the Swedish basketball league.

It is going well, the guard Flood scores 19 points and Köping wins 80-55.

After the match, Anti-Doping Sweden asks him for a doping test.

On Friday, December 3, the answer comes in the mail: positive for an illicit substance.

- These days are the worst I've been through.

I live in a nightmare that can not be woken from.

It's awful, says Erik Flood on the phone from Köping.

"An honest mistake"

Today (Tuesday) Erik Flood will submit an opinion to Anti-Doping Sweden, in which he will report on how the illicit substance ended up in his body.

Then a decision is made whether Flood gets a suspension or not.

- I know the truth.

I'm collaborating with Anti-Doping and their investigation, so right now I can not say everything I want to say.

Then it is difficult to show your innocence, says Flood.

Flood believes that his doping test is positive as he has taken a dietary supplement that has been shown to contain an illicit substance.

He does not want to say which dietary supplement it is, but says that he could not read anything illegal on the table of contents.

Köping Stars club manager Stefan Ståhlmalm tells SVT Sport that it is the manufacturers who have made mistakes:

- So this is a Swedish-made product;

with Swedish stuff, you think that what is written is true.

You can not stop at things that you do not report.

- As we initially judge, this is an honest mistake on Erik's part.

He has not been aware that he has been doped.

Erik is a very honest person, so I would be very surprised if he had done this with intent, says Stefan Ståhlmalm.

"Truly a nightmare"

Erik Flood has voluntarily agreed to an interim suspension, which means that he will not play any matches or train with Köping before Anti-Doping Sweden has made its decision.

- Right now I have accepted a suspension not to play basketball.

It also affects my job that I have on the basketball side.

My life is upside down right now.

It really is a nightmare.

- I do not even think I can go to the matches, but I follow the team - I sit on the couch and cheer of course.

I still want to play, says Erik Flood.

Handball players were suspended for two years

Earlier this year, handball Sweden was in a similar situation when Skövde player Richard Hanisch tested positive for methylhexanamine, which he also suspected he had ingested via a dietary supplement.

There, the sentence was a two-year suspension from the sport.

It is currently unclear if or how Erik Flood will be punished, but he is happy that he has support during the tough times ahead:

- I have my family and friends who support me, which has been the salvation.

The club and my teammates have also supported me.

They write and check how I feel;

that means everything to me right now, says Erik Flood.