The world canoe sprint champion convinced the tribunal that her boyfriends semen, sweat or saliva resulted in her failed doping test.
Laurence Vincent Lapointe, an 11-time world champion in the Women’s Canoe Sprint, was vindicated after an anti-doping tribunal cleared her of intentional doping. Her attorneys successfully argued that Vincent Lapointe was a victim of third-party contamination that may have resulted from sex with her ex-boyfriend.
Vincent Lapointe tested positive for “miniscule traces” of the selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) called Ligandrol (LGD-4033) during an out-of-competition anti-doping control conducted in July 2019.
Accidental doping resulting from a blowjob?
Vincent Lapointe vehemently denied ever using any type of SARM or other prohibited performance-enhancing drug (PED). She initially suspected that she unknowingly ingested Ligandrol from using a contaminated dietary supplement. Unfortunately, she was unable to find any evidence to support this suspicion.
However, Vincent Lapointe’s legal team did not give up. They proved that her boyfriend (at the time of the anti-doping control) had been using a product that containted Ligandrol. Vincent Lapointe’s attorney obtained hair samples from the ex-boyfriend which confirmed the presence of Ligandrol metabolites in his body.
Adam Klevinas, the attorney representing Vincent Lapointe, argued that Ligandrol metabolites are present in bodily fluids such as semen, saliva and sweat.
Therefore, trace amounts of Ligandrol could have been transferred to Vincent Lapointe during any activity in which body fluids are exchanged. The most likely methods of transfer would involve vaginal intercourse and/or oral sex particularly with the ingestion of semen.
The International Canoe Federation (ICF) accepted Vincent Lapointe’s explanation of how the Ligandrol ended up inside her body. The explanation of bodily fluid contamination means that Vincent Lapointe is immediately eligible to compete.
“The ICF has accepted Ms. Vincent Lapointe’s evidence which supports that she was the victim of third-party contamination,” according to a statement released by the ICF.
Vincent Lapointe was provisionally suspended for nearly six months. The suspension caused her to miss the 2019 World Canoe Championships. However, she can still has time to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has the option to challenge the ICF ruling before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).