- Performance-enhancing drugs were discussed at a conference on Thursday
- Experts warned athletes to avoid one-night stands to prevent 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.
USADA chief executive Travis Tygart (pictured) has warned athletes against one-night stands due to the risk of drug contamination
Richard Gasquet (pictured) was cleared of any wrongdoing back in 2009 after blaming his positive test for cocaine on kissing a woman in a nightclub
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.
Tygart suggested rules could change with regards to certain substances, including Clostebol, the substance that Jannik Sinner tested positive for last year
Tygart also namechecked Ostarine, the substance boxer Ryan Garcia tested positive for in 2024
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.’
