US boxer cleared of doping violation caused by sex
New York, June 12 (IANS) United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has cleared Virginia Fuchs, a US Olympic team boxer, of doping violation after they determined that banned substances in her sample had been transmitted during sex with her boyfriend.
In a statement on Thursday, USADA said that Fuchs had tested positive for two banned substances in an out-of-competition urine test on February 13.
“Fuchs, 32, tested positive for the letrozole metabolite bis-(4-cyanophenyl)methanol, as well as GW1516 (GW501516) metabolites, GW1516 sulfone and GW1516 sulfoxide, as the result of an out-of-competition urine sample she provided on February 13, 2020.”
“During a thorough investigation into the circumstances of Fuchs’ case, USADA determined that Fuchs’ male partner was using therapeutic doses of letrozole and GW1516 and the low amounts of letrozole metabolite and GW1516 metabolites detected in her sample were consistent with recent exposure to the substances via sexual transmission.
“Additionally, a WADA-accredited laboratory confirmed that products possessed by Fuchs’ partner contained therapeutic amounts of letrozole and GW1516,” the statement added.
Fuchs will not face a period of ineligibility for her positive test, USADA further said.
“While the World Anti-Doping Code requires that this no fault finding be considered a violation and be publicly announced, we strongly believe this case and others like it, including meat contamination and prescription medication contamination cases, should be considered no violation,” said Travis T. Tygart, Chief Executive Officer of USADA.
“We will continue to advocate for changes to the World Anti-Doping Code so that where there is no intent to cheat and no performance benefit, an athlete should not face any violation or unnecessary public attention.”
Fuchs had narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Rio Olympics and has now set her sights on Tokyo Games, which have been delayed by an year due to COVID-19 pandemic.
–IANS
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