Latest news with #UnitedStatesAnti-DopingAgency
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Elite athletes told to AVOID one-night stands due to the risk of drug contamination
Anti-doping experts have told elite athletes to avoid one-night stands to limit their chances of being contaminated with banned drugs. Performance-enhancing drugs were on the agenda at a conference in London on Thursday, with experts calling for rules to be changed so that there is a clearer distinction between intentional cheating and contamination. Two high-profile cases in recent years have seen athletes cleared of intentional doping after claiming drugs got into their system via their sexual partners. Back in 2009, tennis star Richard Gasquet was cleared after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that his positive test for cocaine was 'probably' caused by kissing a woman in a nightclub. Five years ago, US boxer Virginia Fuchs was then cleared of any wrongdoing after it came to light her partner was using therapeutic doses of GW1516, a banned substance that boosts endurance. An investigation found the metabolites in her sample 'were consistent with recent exposure to the substances via sexual transmission'. Travis Tygart, the chief executive of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), has now warned athletes that they should be careful about who they enter into sexual relationships with. US boxer Virginia Fuchs (pictured) was also cleared in 2020 after the metabolites found in her sample 'were consistent with recent exposure to the substances via sexual transmission' 'It's so pathetic that we're having this conversation,' Tygart admitted. 'But I think based on the cases we've seen, watch who you kiss. Watch out who you have an intimate relationship with. 'To tell that to elite athletes, I think it's a pretty ridiculous world we're expecting our athletes to live in, which is why we're pushing to try to change these rules to make it more reasonable and fair. The onus is always on the athletes. We as anti-doping organisations need to take some of that responsibility back. 'And I worry how many of the intentional cheats are actually getting away because we're spending so much time and resources on the cases that end up being someone kissing someone at a bar. 'Really, it's incredible to think that you have to tell athletes to be careful who they may have intimate relationships with. And it's why we have to change the system, so that's not the world that elite level athletes are expected to live under.' Tygart revealed that changes to anti-doping rules are set to be made with regards to certain substances. He namechecked Clostebol, the anabolic steroid that Jannik Sinner tested positive for last year. The No 1 ranked male tennis player denied any wrongdoing, but later accepted a three-month ban which he has nearly completed. Tygart also mentioned Ostarine, a substance that was found in boxing star Ryan Garcia's system following his fight with Devin Haney last year. Garcia also denied intentional use of the substance, but accepted a one-year ban. Tygart said: 'There's a handful of substances that you could say at certain levels, and we're talking very, very low levels, you put in an MRL [minimum reporting level]. 'Wada is already doing it for clenbuterol, meat enhancers, and diuretics. Add a few more substances to that, Clostebol would be one of those, because we know it can transfer between people through intimacy. Ostarine is another.'
BBC News
21-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Wada drops lawsuit against Usada and Tygart
The World Anti-Doping Agency has dropped its lawsuit against the United States Anti-Doping Agency over a dispute about Chinese swimmers testing positive for a banned substance in 23 swimmers were cleared to compete at the Tokyo Olympics by Wada after it found it could not disprove the China Anti-Doping Agency's conclusion that the positive tests for heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) were caused by chief executive Travis Tygart accused Wada of a cover-up - a claim Wada rejected as "completely false and defamatory" before it filed a defamation lawsuit in Swiss court against Usada and said it remains "convinced" the lawsuit would have been successful but has withdrawn it in the "interest of moving on".Tygart said Wada dropping the "baseless" lawsuit is "complete vindication" for himself and Usada. After the case involving the Chinese swimmers became public in April last year, an independent investigation by Swiss prosecutor Eric Cottier in July said Wada did not show bias and acted was again critical and called on Wada to conduct a "more thorough" audit by an investigator appointed by a neutral third between the two organisations have since remained July, Wada said Usada would face a compliance review, while the International Olympic Committee (IOC) altered the hosting contract for the 2034 Winter Olympics to allow it to strip Salt Lake City of the Games if US authorities did not respect the "supreme authority" of month, Usada said it "fully" supported the US government's decision to withhold a payment of $3.6m (£2.8m) to said by dropping its lawsuit it was "putting this behind us and moving forward in collaboration with our stakeholders for the good of all athletes around the world".However, it also said it determined it is "futile to argue with somebody who is unwilling to accept clear evidence, whose only goal is to damage Wada and the global anti-doping system, and who has no desire to find a resolution".Tygart remained critical of Wada in response, calling its actions "retaliatory, wasteful and abusive".He added: "It's time for those who value clean sport to step up and get Wada right, as athletes deserve a fair, robust global watchdog to protect their rights to fair competition."Wada confirmed it has also dropped an ethics case against former US Office of National Drug Control Policy director Rahul Gupta, who represented the US on Wada's executive board.
