Particle.news
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
12h ago

Anti-Doping Experts Urge Athletes to Avoid Casual Encounters Over Drug Contamination Risks

At a London conference, calls intensify for WADA to reform rules on unintentional doping caused by intimacy, as USADA highlights unresolved Chinese swimmer cases.

Image
It was accepted that Gasquet’s positive test for a metabolite of cocaine was ‘probably’ caused by kissing a woman in a nightclub
Image
Image

Overview

  • Anti-doping authorities have warned athletes to avoid casual sexual encounters due to the risk of inadvertent doping from intimacy-transmitted substances.
  • Current WADA rules place strict liability on athletes, requiring them to prove contamination sources, which is often challenging without witness testimony.
  • USADA and experts are advocating for rule changes to classify low-level, intimacy-based findings as atypical rather than adverse analytical findings.
  • USADA chief Travis Tygart criticized WADA's handling of Chinese swimmers' positive tests for trimetazidine, which may have impacted 96 Olympic medals across Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024.
  • Proposed reforms include raising minimum reporting thresholds for substances known to be transferable through intimacy, aiming to reduce false positives and protect athletes.