Latest news with #YsaoraThibus
Fox News
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
French Olympic fencer's kiss contamination defense holds up in court as she's cleared of doping violation
A French Olympic fencer's contaminated kiss defense was enough on Monday for the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to clear her of a doping allegation. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) asked for Ysaora Thibus to be banned from competition for four years after she tested positive for the anabolic substance ostarine in January 2024. An International Fencing Tribunal initially cleared Thibus, allowing her to compete in the Paris Olympics. However, WADA challenged the explanation that Thibus was contaminated "through kissing with her then partner, who had been using a product containing ostarine without her knowledge," the CAS said. The CAS cleared Thibus after judges accepted that she was contaminated by kisses from her American partner over a period of nine days. The court said on Monday, "it is scientifically established that the intake of an ostarine dose similar to the dose ingested by Ms Thibus' then partner would have left sufficient amounts of ostarine in the saliva to contaminate a person through kissing." CAS judges "accepted that Ms. Thibus' then-partner was taking ostarine from Jan. 5, 2024, and that there was contamination over nine days with a cumulative effect." Thibus' partner at the time was Race Imboden – a two-time Olympic fencing bronze medalist for the U.S. Thibus finished fifth in the women's team foil in Paris Olympics and 28th in the women's individual foil. She was a silver medalist in the women's team foil event in the Tokyo Games. She won a world championship in 2022 in individual foil. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
The Independent
08-07-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Olympic fencer cleared of doping after contamination from kissing partner led to failed test
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) has overturned French Olympic fencer Ysaora Thibus's four-year suspension for doping, ruling that her positive test for a banned substance was caused by kissing her then-boyfriend, American fencer Race Imboden. Thibus, silver medallist in team foil at the Tokyo Olympics, had tested positive for ostarine, a prohibited muscle-building substance, during a competition in Paris in January 2024. However, Cas concluded there was no intentional wrongdoing, finding it scientifically plausible that repeated kissing over several days with Olympic medallist Imboden, who was taking ostarine at the time, led to accidental contamination. The court dismissed an appeal from the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), which had sought a four-year suspension. The sport's top court instead upheld a previous ruling from the International Fencing Federation's doping disciplinary tribunal (DDT) that had already cleared Thibus of any fault. "The CAS Panel ruled that the antidoping rule violation for the presence of ostarine was not intentional, and that it is not questionable that Ms Thibus bears no fault or negligence," the court said in a statement. "The DDT decision is upheld and the appeal is dismissed." The case has drawn comparisons to an incident in 2009 involving French tennis player Richard Gasquet, who was exonerated after arguing that he had tested positive for cocaine after kissing someone at a nightclub. Thibus was able to compete at Paris 2024 following the initial DDT ruling, finishing fifth in the team foil event on home soil.
The Guardian
08-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
French fencer cleared of doping charge on account of kissing her partner
French Olympic fencer Ysaora Thibus was cleared of a doping allegation Monday because the judges accepted she was contaminated by kissing her American partner over a period of nine days. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) ruling echoed a verdict clearing another French athlete with a similar defense in a doping allegation – tennis player Richard Gasquet in the celebrated 'cocaine kiss' case in 2009. Cas said in the Thibus case its judging panel dismissed an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), which asked for her to be banned for four years. Thibus tested positive for the anabolic substance ostarine in January 2024. She was later cleared by an International Fencing Federation tribunal weeks before the Paris Olympics, which let her compete there. Wada challenged the explanation that Thibus was contaminated 'through kissing with her then partner, who had been using a product containing ostarine without her knowledge,' Cas said. The court said Monday 'it is scientifically established that the intake of an ostarine dose similar to the dose ingested by Ms Thibus' then partner would have left sufficient amounts of ostarine in the saliva to contaminate a person through kissing.' The Cas judges 'accepted that Ms. Thibus' then-partner was taking ostarine from 5 Jan, 2024, and that there was contamination over nine days with a cumulative effect.' Her partner at the time was Race Imboden, a two-time Olympic fencing bronze medalist for the United States. Thibus, a silver medalist for France in women's team foil at the Tokyo Olympics, placed fifth at that event in Paris and 28th in the women's individual foil.
CNN
08-07-2025
- Sport
- CNN
French Olympian cleared of doping charge as court accepts positive test linked to kissing partner
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has overturned French Olympic fencer Ysaora Thibus' four-year suspension for doping, ruling that her positive test for a banned substance was caused by kissing her then-boyfriend, American fencer Race Imboden. Thibus, silver medalist in team foil at the Tokyo Games, had tested positive for ostarine, a prohibited muscle-building substance, during a competition in Paris in January 2024. However, CAS concluded there was no intentional wrongdoing, finding it scientifically plausible that repeated kissing over several days with Olympic medallist Imboden – who was taking ostarine at the time – led to accidental contamination. The court dismissed an appeal from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which had sought a four-year suspension. The sport's top court instead upheld a previous ruling from the International Fencing Federation's doping disciplinary tribunal (DDT) that had already cleared Thibus of any fault. 'The CAS Panel ruled that the antidoping rule violation for the presence of ostarine was not intentional, and that it is not questionable that Ms Thibus bears no fault or negligence,' the court said in a statement. 'The DDT decision is upheld and the appeal is dismissed.' The case has drawn comparisons to an incident in 2009 involving French tennis player Richard Gasquet, who was exonerated after arguing that he had tested positive for cocaine after kissing someone at a nightclub. Thibus was able to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics following the initial DDT ruling, finishing fifth in the team foil event on home soil.
CNN
08-07-2025
- Sport
- CNN
French Olympian cleared of doping charge as court accepts positive test linked to kissing partner
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has overturned French Olympic fencer Ysaora Thibus' four-year suspension for doping, ruling that her positive test for a banned substance was caused by kissing her then-boyfriend, American fencer Race Imboden. Thibus, silver medalist in team foil at the Tokyo Games, had tested positive for ostarine, a prohibited muscle-building substance, during a competition in Paris in January 2024. However, CAS concluded there was no intentional wrongdoing, finding it scientifically plausible that repeated kissing over several days with Olympic medallist Imboden – who was taking ostarine at the time – led to accidental contamination. The court dismissed an appeal from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which had sought a four-year suspension. The sport's top court instead upheld a previous ruling from the International Fencing Federation's doping disciplinary tribunal (DDT) that had already cleared Thibus of any fault. 'The CAS Panel ruled that the antidoping rule violation for the presence of ostarine was not intentional, and that it is not questionable that Ms Thibus bears no fault or negligence,' the court said in a statement. 'The DDT decision is upheld and the appeal is dismissed.' The case has drawn comparisons to an incident in 2009 involving French tennis player Richard Gasquet, who was exonerated after arguing that he had tested positive for cocaine after kissing someone at a nightclub. Thibus was able to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics following the initial DDT ruling, finishing fifth in the team foil event on home soil.
