UK Anti-Doping suspended Ryan Martin for four years after he tested positive for anabolic steroid metabolites.
Ryan Martin, an American boxer competing in the lightweight weight class, has been suspended for a period of four years by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD). Martin tested positive for anabolic steroid metabolites late last year.
Specifically, Martin tested positive for two metabolites of testosterone – androsterone and etiocholanone. Both metabolites are prohibited at all times under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.
Ryan Martin’s doping would have gone undetected if UKAD was the only organization administering drug testing.
Interestingly, Martin passed the initial in-competition drug tests administered by UKAD. However, he failed the tests administered by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA).
“IRMS results consistent with exogenous origin of testosterone metabolites (5a-androstanediol, 5b-androstanediol, androsterone and etiochoanolone).”
UKAD re-tested the “Sample A” with carbon isotope ratio testing and found the presence of exogenous testosterone metabolites thereby validating the VADA test results.
Martin’s urine sample was collected as part of in-competition drug controls during the 2018 World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) in Glasgow. Martin lost to Scottish boxer Josh Taylor during the super-lightweight quarter final on November 3, 2018.
Martin was fighting for the WBC Silver super lightweight title. The 25-year old Martin and the 27-year old Taylor were both undefeated going into the 2018 WBSS. Martin lost to Taylor via technical knock-out (TKO) in the seventh round.
Martin suggested that the testosterone positive was the result of ingesting a contaminated dietary supplement. Martin maintained that any ingestion of a banned substances was “accidental and unintentional”.
Martin blamed the supplements DAS Nutrition “Bucked UP” and a Black Market Labs supplement. However, UKAD rejected Martin’s defense citing the agency’s strict liability rules.
“The Panel’s finding, therefore, is that in taking those supplements (if indeed the supplements were the source of the ADRV [anti-doping rules violation] Mr Martin took what he knew or ought to have known was a risk and manifestly disregarded the consequences of it. On that basis, he has not demonstrated that he acted unintentionally… far from acting without Fault or Negligence, Mr. Martin’s Fault and Negligence was of a high order.”