The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has overturned French Olympic fencer Ysaora Thibus’ four-year suspension for doping, ruling that her positive test for a banned substance was caused by kissing her then-boyfriend, American fencer Race Imboden.
Thibus, silver medalist in team foil at the Tokyo Games, had tested positive for ostarine, a prohibited muscle-building substance, during a competition in Paris in January 2024.
However, CAS concluded there was no intentional wrongdoing, finding it scientifically plausible that repeated kissing over several days with Olympic medallist Imboden – who was taking ostarine at the time – led to accidental contamination.
The court dismissed an appeal from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which had sought a four-year suspension.
The sport’s top court instead upheld a previous ruling from the International Fencing Federation’s doping disciplinary tribunal (DDT) that had already cleared Thibus of any fault.
“The CAS Panel ruled that the antidoping rule violation for the presence of ostarine was not intentional, and that it is not questionable that Ms Thibus bears no fault or negligence,” the court said in a statement.
“The DDT decision is upheld and the appeal is dismissed.”
The case has drawn comparisons to an incident in 2009 involving French tennis player Richard Gasquet, who was exonerated after arguing that he had tested positive for cocaine after kissing someone at a nightclub.
Thibus was able to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics following the initial DDT ruling, finishing fifth in the team foil event on home soil.
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