Emily Abbott Failed Drug Test, Including Nine Other Athletes
What happened?
CrossFit HQ just announced that Emily Abbott tested positive for Ibutamoren, a SARM compound with powerful anabolic properties including boosting growth hormone levels without increasing. While Ibutamoren isn’t named on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned substance list, human growth hormones are.
Emily has received a four year ban from competing in any CrossFit sanctioned event, which means she won’t be eligible to compete until the 2023 season, which is effectively a five-season ban.
Sixth place finisher, Meredith Root will be taking her place.
At the end of June, we started hearing rumors that Emily Abbott was in the process of appealing a failed drug test administrated after she won the West Regional on May 27, 2018. After repeated attempts to get in touch with her, Emily has been unresponsive.
The 4x CrossFit Games athlete, Emily Abbott is by far the most high profile and first legacy athlete to fail a drug test. She’s been to the CrossFit Games every year since 2014, and in 2015 she placed 8th which earned her a spot on the Canadian Invitational Team.
In the 2016, Abbott squared off against Chyna Cho for the 16.1 live announcement matchup.
At 29-years-old, Abbott will be 34 by the time her ban is lifted.
UPDATE: Emily Responds
In a press release sent out today, Abott said:
“I am beyond disappointed and frustrated that the organization I have dedicated so much of my life to has basically ignored my explanation for my inadvertent exposure to ibutamoren. I have proudly represented the sport as an advocate of clean eating and a healthy lifestyle, and would never knowingly take any banned substance. I strongly disagree with this unfair decision, and will be exploring all of my options.”
Anything else?
Unfortunately, nine other athletes failed their drug tests, which brings the total to 13 — three of those athletes were podium finishers: Andrey Ganin, Dean Shaw of CrossFit Valley Road and Maria Ceballos of Team Colombia Parceros. Frederik Aegidius will replace Ganin.
Here’s the complete list of 13 Regionals athletes who failed drug tests:
- Emily Abbott, 1st West, Ibutamoren
- Dean Shaw, 2nd Meridian Team, Clomiphene
- Laura Hosier, 3rd East Team, Higenamine
- Maria Ceballos, 1st Latin America Team, Stanozolol Metabolites
- Andrey Ganin, 4th Europe, Exogenous Testerone
- Nuha Almarri, 34 Meridian, GW1516 sulfoxide and GW1516 sulfone, metabolites of GW1516 and oral turinabol – metabolic modulator and anabolic androgenic steroid
- Stephanie Araujo, 5th Latin America Team, stanozolol metabolite – anabolic agents
- Joel Munro, 28th Pacific, metabolites of GW1516 – metabolic modulator
- Rachel Campbell, 34 South, metabolite of oxandrolone – anabolic agent
- Kara Paslay, 37th Central, 1,3-dimethylbutylamine – stimulant
- Megan Benzik, 28th South, epimentendiol, metabolites of methandienone and oxandrolone, epioxandrolone, methanol, a letrozole metabolie, and amphetamine
- Carlos Castillo, 25th Latin America Team, LGD4033
- Gena Malkovskiy, 8th Europe, clomiphene, meldonium, and a metabolite of drostanolone