Swiss triathlete Imogen Simmonds has been cleared of any guilt or negligence after testing positive for Ligandrol, a banned anabolic agent, following an out-of-competition doping test on December 8, 2024. The International Testing Agency (ITA) ruled that the positive result was caused by what it described as “sexual contamination.”
Simmonds had initially been notified of the adverse analytical finding in February 2025. The result came as a devastating shock for the 31-year-old, who said the finding ‘shattered’ her identity and career. “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,” she explained at the time. Follow-up tests before and after December 8 were both negative.
After learning of the result, Simmonds launched an independent investigation to determine how the substance had entered her system. Her findings pointed to her partner, who was using Ligandrol as part of his own fitness regimen – something Simmonds says she was unaware of. “Through an intimate relationship, the substance must have entered my body through biological fluids such as saliva or semen,” she said.
The ITA accepted this explanation, issuing a verdict of “no fault or negligence,” effectively clearing Simmonds of any wrongdoing.
The Swiss athlete expressed both relief and frustration over the ordeal, emphasizing that she hopes her case raises awareness of how accidental transmission can occur.