Triathlon athlete Imogen Simmonds expressed immense relief after being cleared of a doping violation despite testing positive for a prohibited substance. The 32-year-old was initially suspended by the International Testing Agency (ITA) after a positive test for ligandrol, a banned muscle-enhancing drug.

The ITA defines ligandrol as a substance that boosts muscle growth and physical performance, prohibited in both competitive and non-competitive settings. However, Simmonds has been exonerated and allowed to resume competition following a thorough investigation that found no guilt or negligence on her part.

In a social media post, Simmonds shared her relief at the ITA’s decision to clear her name in connection with the doping control test. She explained that the presence of ligandrol in her urine sample was due to incidental contact with her partner, who unknowingly used supplements containing the banned substance.

The ITA statement confirmed that Simmonds was not at fault for the adverse analytical finding, leading to no period of ineligibility for competition. As the sample was obtained out-of-competition, there are no competitive results to invalidate, and the matter is considered resolved by IRONMAN and the ITA.

While the decision can be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Simmonds is focusing on returning to triathlon competition. With ten career victories and a previous seventh ranking in the PTO’s World standings, she looks to regain momentum after a recent fourth-place finish at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in New Zealand.