Triathlete Tomas Rodriguez Hernandez has released a statement blaming contaminated food after his provisional suspension from competition under anti-doping rules.
The Mexican star claimed victory at IRONMAN Texas back in April, completing his win with an astonishing 2:34:14 marathon.
But on Tuesday (August 6) the news came out of the International Testing Agency (ITA) that Rodriguez Hernandez had returned an Adverse Analytical Finding for Clomifene (S4. Hormone and Metabolic Modulators). The sample was collected during an in-competition test at that IRONMAN Texas race on April 27.
The ITA statement confirmed that Rodriguez Hernandez has been notified of the case, and has been provisionally suspended pursuant to Article 7.4.2 of the IRONMAN Anti-Doping Rules (IRONMAN ADR).
Rodriguez Hernandez requested the opening and analysis of the B-sample, which confirmed the result of the A-sample. The athlete also challenged the imposition of the Provisional Suspension.
The ITA has asserted an Anti-Doping Rule Violation as per Article 2.1 and/or Article 2.2 of the IRONMAN ADR. The case will be referred to the International Hearing Panel, which is IRONMAN’s first instance panel as per Article 8 of the IRONMAN ADR, to hold a hearing on the case.
Rodriguez Hernandez statement
Rodriguez Hernandez responded to the news being made public by releasing a statement of his own on his Instagram account, in which he blamed the test results on the “inadvertent consumption of contaminated food, specifically eggs and chicken, which are abundant in my diet.”
His statement in full read: “I am Tomas Rodriguez, a professional athlete and an ambassador of clean sport, and I want to share an important update regarding my recent positive result in an anti-doping test. During a test conducted on April 27, 2024, I tested positive for the substance Clomiphene. The process is still ongoing, and I will communicate any further updates as soon as I have more information.
“I want to be clear and transparent about this situation and explain that Clomiphene was detected at minimal levels in the sample. I want to emphasize that these levels are extremely low and are not consistent with the intentional use of the substance to enhance performance.
‘Contaminated food to blame’
“The presence of Clomiphene in my system is due to the inadvertent consumption of contaminated food, specifically eggs and chicken, which are abundant in my diet. These foods contained traces of the substance, leading to the unexpected positive result. Additionally, I want to point out that my biological passport, which monitors hormone levels over time, shows completely normal ranges with no signs of doping. These records, regularly reviewed and validated by independent experts, confirm that there has been no abnormal variation that could indicate the use of prohibited substances.
“I have dedicated my life to sports and have always competed with integrity and honesty. I would never betray my principles or resort to the use of illegal substances to enhance my performance. This incident is an unfortunate reminder of the importance of quality controls in the food supply chain and the need to remain vigilant against against inadvertent contamination.
“Despite the unintentional nature of the positive result, I have received a provisional suspension. During this period, while the process is resolved, I commit to continuing to work on my recovery and educating other athletes about the risks of food contamination.
“I am deeply dismayed by this positive result. I have never taken prohibited substances and would never do so. I appreciate the support of my fans, my team, and my family during this difficult time. I will continue to fight for clean sport and return stronger, hoping to prevent other athletes from facing similar situations.”
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