Athletes warned one-night stands could lead to failed drugs tests
Tennis player Richard Gasquet was cleared by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) in 2009 after testing positive for cocaine, with the Frenchman able to prove that it entered his system after kissing a woman at a nightclub.
'Gasquet managed to get her to come and give evidence to say: 'Yes, I'm a cocaine addict. I use cocaine,' leading sports lawyer Mark Hovell explained at the Sports Resolutions conference in London. ''I kissed him in this nightclub.' But with a one-night stand, how are you going to be able to find that person again? That's the problem.'
Travis Tygart, the head of the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada), also cited the example of American boxer Virginia Fuchs, who tested positive for prohibited substances in 2020 but was cleared after proving that the metabolites detected were consistent with recent exposure via sexual transmission with her partner.
Tygart, who has criticised the World Anti-Doping Agency regularly over the last 12 months, called on the body to relax the minimum reporting level of substances that could be sexually transmitted so that athletes were not at risk of suspension.
'I think based on the cases we've seen, watch who you kiss and watch out who you have an intimate relationship with,' Tygart said.
'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.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Arne Slot provides different reasons for Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez's Liverpool absences
Liverpool stars Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz watched on from the sidelines as Liverpool were defeated by AC Milan in Hong Kong after being left out of Arne Slot's squad on Saturday Arne Slot has revealed that Luis Diaz was left out of Liverpool's clash against AC Milan due to ongoing talk over his future. Darwin Nunez however, who has also been linked with an exit, had a 'minor' fitness issue which kept him out of the match. Slot's side fell to a 4-2 defeat against the Italian opposition as the Dutchman looked to get his team up to speed. Florian Wirtz made his debut in front of supporters and showed flashes of his clash but could not inspire Liverpool to victory. Despite wholesale substitutions, the Reds had a number of players who were unavailable. Waturo Endo missed out through illness, while Alexis Mac Allister is still building up his fitness following injury and is set to miss the game in Japan against Yokahoma FM despite his return to training. New signing Hugo Ekitike was also unavailable selection as they offered the Frenchman more time to bed into the squad after his arrival earlier this week. Ekitike should feature for the first time on Wednesday. Both Diaz and Darwin were in attendance at Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong on Saturday but there absence from the squad certainly prompted quick questions over what it could mean for the future. Following the game, it emerged it perhaps meant more for Diaz. 'Yes, Luis Diaz was left out today due to speculation on his future," Slot said following Liverpool's loss. The Colombia international has been linked to Barcelona and Bayern Munich this summer. The former have since signed Marcus Rashford on loan from Manchester United but the German giants have move to sign Diaz from Liverpool. The attacker has been in talks with Liverpool over his future and has two years remaining on his deal. Bayern are said to have made a second bid for Diaz's services however, having an opening offer of £58million rejected by the Reds, who have made it clear he is not for sale. Whether the player being left out on Saturday signals a change in stance, remains to be seen. Joe Gomez was not present for the game against Milan after returning to Merseyside due to his Achilles injury. Slot said: "He was, of course, with us for the first part of the week, but he had some Achilles problems. "We thought it was better to assess it back in England and for him to work on him to come back to the team, probably in more ideal circumstances for him."
Metro
3 hours ago
- Metro
Three spectators die after rally car veers off road during race
Three spectators at a rally event in France have been killed after a car left the road this morning. A pair of brothers aged 60 and 70 died at the scene, while a 40-year-old father died later in hospital, according to local news outlet La Montagne. The race was taking place near Ambert in the Puy-de-Dome region west of Lyon this morning. It has now been cancelled. Local media said the driver, a 22-year-old woman, and her 51-year-old co-driver have been taken to hospital but their condition is not life-threatening. More Trending In a post on X, the Puy-de-Dome prefecture said: 'This morning, a tragic accident occurred during the Rallye de la Fourme d'Ambert. 'Following a vehicle in the race going off the road, several spectators were struck.' It added: 'Our thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones, and all those affected by this tragedy.' An investigation into involuntary manslaughter has now been opened. Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ Or you can submit your videos and pictures here. For more stories like this, check our news page. Follow on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here. MORE: Keir Starmer says state is 'inalienable' right of Palestinian people MORE: Fake American catches Paris restaurants charging more than French diners MORE: Spectator run over by Ineos team car during Tour de France
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool boss banished £18m star after mysterious falling out – 'I can't accept the lie'
Jurgen Klopp put down a marker ahead of his first full season as Liverpool head coach by kicking a Reds player off a pre-season tour to the United States for tardiness Jurgen Klopp once froze out an international defender following a mysterious falling out ahead of his first full season as Liverpool boss. Mamadou Sakho, an £18million signing from Paris Saint-Germain, had become a key member of the squad during the 2015/16 campaign, which saw the sacked Brendan Rodgers replaced by Klopp. However, the Frenchman was sidelined amid a doping investigation - from which he was later exonerated and awarded compensation - resulting in him missing the Europa League final defeat by Sevilla and Euro 2016, hosted by France. Sakho was cleared to resume his career that summer and travelled with the Reds squad to the United States for a pre-season tour. However, that proved to be the beginning of the end of his Liverpool career after he was accused of being late for a flight, a team meal and a treatment session. Klopp explained: 'I thought maybe it made sense for him to fly home to Liverpool and after eight or 10 days, when we come back, we can talk about it. It's not that serious. 'He nearly missed the departure of the plane, he missed a session and was late for a meal. We have some rules and we have to respect them. If somebody doesn't respect it or somebody gives me the feeling he is not respecting it, then I have to react, that's all. 'It is private how he reacted. But we had no argument. You cannot argue when only one person is speaking. That's all. I think missed a session is missed a session. Even injured players have sessions.' As the season began, Sakho remained banished from the first team, training instead with the under-23 squad. Frustrated at his situation, Sakho took to his Snapchat account at 3am one morning to insist he was fit to play. He posted: 'Now it's three weeks I am fit to play games. They don't want me to play with segonde (segondo, U23s) team lol. Still working hard like Scouse Soldier! Still not talking cos I want to speak on the pitch....I will speak soon for the people who support me and don't understand the situation (emoji). 'Still happy to live in my Liverpool Country (emoji) with my family, hope to have chance to play soon to give my best like I try to always do! I accept my situation but I can't accept the fans deserve to know the true! Thanks for your support (emoji) 6 six months stay quiet. Have good night everybody! You'll never walk alone! (emoji).' Speaking in France, Sakho acknowledged his tardiness to Canal Football Club, saying: 'It is true that I turned up late. There was a rule that I should have observed. I do not at all see myself as above the rules, I respect everyone. 'I paid my fine, I was sanctioned, I apologised to my team-mates and my manager. Aside from that… I do not want to go into the controversies.' Sakho, now 35 and playing his football in Georgia, would eventually leave Liverpool, initially on loan, for Crystal Palace in 2017. Speaking earlier this summer, nine years after his spat with Klopp, Sakho spoke of his respect for the German but insisted all was not as it seemed. He told the Liverpool Echo: 'Good relationship because I'm not a negative man. I always respect. I like his type of football.' Addressing the lateness he was sent home for and his subsequent Snapchat message, Sakho added: 'Seriously, because a player is late to eat, the time's 7.15 and he comes at 7.18, now he leaves the club? Come on. 'What I wrote (on Snapchat) was the truth. But the truth always takes the stairs and the lie takes the elevator. You have football that people see, and you have few things inside but they cannot talk about it. So I always keep it for me as a man and that's it. 'I never talk and I would not speak for the moment because it's not important. I really enjoy my time in Liverpool. I will speak about it one day, of course. Of course one day I will speak. But not now, it is not the right moment.'
