Switzerland’s Imogen Simmonds tested positive for ligandrol; a substance that has similar effects to testosterone, in an out-of-competition doping test on Dec. 8, 2024. According to the athlete, who says she had no idea how that substance got into her body and therefore initiated an investigation, it is because of her partner, who does use ligandrol (without her knowledge, ed.).
The test was conducted unannounced and leading up to the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Taupo, and Simmonds said she was stunned and devastated by the outcome. “I was stunned and devastated when the test came back positive for a metabolite of ligandrol at picogram levels (a quantity that is equivalent to a dash of salt in an Olympic-size swimming pool and would have never provided me with any performance-enhancing benefit). I had no idea what the substance was or how it could have got into my system. I had a negative doping control test six days earlier and 22 days after.”
Simmonds immediately sought assistance after the positive test, and after “research and investigation,” she found out that her partner, whom she married around the time of the positive test, did use ligandrol ‘to help improve his own personal physique around the time of the positive test’. ““I have an intimate relationship with my partner and my team and I came to the conclusion that the ligandrol must have entered my body through bodily fluids (such as saliva or semen, ed.),” she said. “My partner and I engaged in intimate relations both the day of and day before my 8 December 2024 doping control test – my legal team and I have concluded that this substance got into my system via the transfer of bodily fluid.”
Simmonds further indicated that she is not the first and undoubtedly not the last athlete in whom this happens. “so I hope my story can help raise awareness of this form of contamination.”
Full statement here:
