Overview

• The Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed the World Anti-Doping Agency’s appeal and overturned a potential four-year ban.
• The CAS panel accepted that ostarine traces in Thibus’s system were caused unintentionally by prolonged kissing with partner Race Imboden.
• Judges relied on expert evidence showing cumulative exposure over nine days was sufficient to transfer detectable ostarine levels via saliva.
• Thibus had tested positive for ostarine in January 2024 and faced provisional suspension before an International Fencing Federation tribunal cleared her ahead of the Paris Games.
• The verdict echoes the 2009 Richard Gasquet “cocaine kiss” case and underscores complexities in strict liability anti-doping rules.