French fencer Ysaora Thibus was found not guilty of a doping violation Monday after judges concluded she was exposed to a banned substance through contact with her American partner over nine days.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) upheld a decision similar to an earlier case involving French tennis player Richard Gasquet, who was cleared in 2009 after claiming cocaine entered his system through a kiss.
Cas rejected an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), which had sought a four-year ban for Thibus.
Thibus had tested positive for the anabolic substance ostarine in January 2024. An International Fencing Federation tribunal later cleared her, allowing her to compete at the Paris Olympics.
Wada disputed the claim that Thibus was contaminated through contact with her then-partner, who had unknowingly used a product containing ostarine.
Cas stated Monday that scientific evidence supported the argument that the amount of ostarine in her partner’s system was sufficient to transfer via saliva during contact over several days.
The judges determined that Thibus's partner had been using ostarine since January 5, 2024, leading to contamination with a cumulative effect over nine days.
Her partner, Race Imboden, is a two-time Olympic bronze medalist in fencing for the United States.
Thibus, who won silver in the women’s team foil at the Tokyo Olympics, finished fifth in the same event in Paris and 28th in the individual competition.
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