World top-10 triathlete reveals positive drug test “nightmare” and blames “transfer of bodily fluid”

Swiss star Imogen Simmonds, currently ranked number seven in the world for middle and long-distance triathlon, has spoken of her “heartbreak” following a positive drug test, which she is appealing.

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.

The 31-year-old, who was born in Hong Kong before moving to Switzerland, has issued a press release – which she has also posted on her Instagram account – in which she reveals that she was randomly drug tested out-of-competition ahead of the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Taupō, New Zealand which took place on December 14 last year.

Imogen Simmonds statement in full

The press release from Simmonds reads as follows: “On 8 December 2024, I was randomly drug tested out-of-competition in the leadup to the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Taupō, New Zealand. 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.

“Upon receiving the news, I immediately hired experienced counsel. Through investigation and research, it was discovered that, unknown to me, my longtime partner had been ingesting ligandrol to help improve his own personal physique around the time of the positive test.

“At the instruction of my legal team, my partner and I immediately submitted to a hair sample analysis that confirmed I have never taken ligandrol (my hair sample came back negative), while my partner had done so over the period in question (his hair sample came back positive).

‘Heartbreaking’

“As a result, considering the timeline of events: specifically, that I had a negative doping control test six days earlier and 22 days after, and that 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.

“We have hired the best expert in the world to assist us with proving my case and will provide our evidence to IRONMAN/the ITA within their stated deadlines and according to their procedures.

“I have been tested regularly both in and out of competition for the last several years and have always returned negative results, which is why this case has been a nightmare for me and something I never imagined I’d have to deal with in my lifetime. I take my anti-doping obligations seriously and am a true believer in clean sport, so to have my name be associated with a banned substance is heartbreaking.

“While I am not the first athlete to have this happen to them, I likely won’t be the last, so I hope my story can help raise awareness of this form of contamination.

“I kindly ask that you give me and those around me space as I work through the legal process to establish my innocence, which I am confident I will do.”

In the latest WADA [World Anti Doping Agency] prohibited list, ligandrol is included in the Anabolic Agents list which are banned at all times, in and out of competition, with the paragraph in question:

“Including, but not limited to: Clenbuterol, osilodrostat, ractopamine, selective androgen receptor modulators [SARMs, e.g. andarine, enobosarm (ostarine), LGD-4033 (ligandrol), RAD140, S-23 and YK-11], zeranol and zilpaterol.”