Imogen Simmonds‘ race comeback now looks set to be at the Qatar T100 Grand Final on December 12.
It was announced in October that the Swiss star was free to compete again after the International Testing Agency reported that she had agreed to a finding of No Fault after testing positive for SARMS LGD-4033 (ligandrol) metabolite Dihydroxy-LGD-4033.
Simmonds said at the time: “It is with indescribable amounts of relief that I announce the ITA has decided on a “no guilt or negligence” verdict regarding my ADRV [anti-doping rule violation] from an out-of-competition doping control test on the 8th of December 2024.
“I was informed of the presence of Ligandrol in a urine sample on the 5th of February 2025, which the ITA have ruled was due to sexual contamination.”
Simmonds had been set to make her return in the Laguna Phuket Triathlon over a hybrid 1.8km / 55km / 12km distance in Thailand on Sunday [November 23].
‘A little heart broken’
But writing on Instagram on the eve of the race, Simmonds said: “Since I got the news that I was cleared to race, I’ve been so excited to get on a start line again. I’ve been in Thailand for a couple weeks and had been adapting well to the conditions looking forward to racing the legendary Laguna Phuket Traithlon tomorrow.
“On Wednesday, I came down with something and haven’t been able to eat since, let alone consider training. Unfortunately, I’ve had to accept that it’s the only sensible thing to not race. A little heart broken to say the least💔💔”
That race was won in emphatic style by Britain’s Georgia Taylor-Brown.
Title decider
Simmonds, who has more than 10 career wins to her name, excelled in the T100 Triathlon World Tour last season, finishing ninth in the overall standings – which earned her a contracted place for 2025.
However she hasn’t raced since coming fourth in the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in New Zealand on 14th December 2024 – but the Grand Final in Qatar now beckons almost exactly a year later.
She is one of 26 women on the current start list for what promises to be an incredible showdown for the T100 title between Kate Waugh, Julie Derron and Lucy Charles-Barclay.
Taylor-Brown will also be there to round off a busy end to her season, with the defence of her IRONMAN 70.3 Bahrain title to come in between Phuket and that race.
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