USA Beijing-bound Olympian swimmer Hardy begins doping appeal: Jessica Hardy surrogates deny clenbuterol charge
USA Olympic swimmer Jessica Hardy begins the long appeals process to protest a positive test for clenbuterol found prior the the Olympic Games. Hardy, the current US record holder in the 100 Butterfly, was scheduled to swim in several Beijing events. A positive test for the unapproved drug (clen) put plans on hold. The WaPo says Hardy's positive test rocked the swimming world.
Hardy's lawyer, the esteemed dope lawyer Howard Jacobs already began the public media campaign with two defense points - the 'she doesn't even know what this drug is' ploy, and the 'the lab is very messed up' gambit.
Swimmer Jessica Hardy has begun the appeals process following her positive doping test from the U.S. Olympic trials and is hopeful she can still go to Beijing, her lawyer said on Thursday.
Attorney Howard Jacobs said Hardy had tested positive for the stimulant clenbuterol after her second doping test at the trials, on July 4 following her swim in the 100 meters freestyle.
Her first test, after the 100 breaststroke on July 1, and her third, following the 50 freestyle on July 6, both came back negative, Jacobs told Reuters in a telephone interview from Los Angeles.
"I've never heard of a pattern of testing like that," said Jacobs, adding that Hardy denied any doping violation.
"She didn't even know what clenbuterol was when she was informed of the positive test," Jacobs said.
Sometimes on has to explain to lawyers about life: maybe she doped from one race, dude, and not the other. Nonetheless, appeals have been won in the past; every athletes deserves due process.
Clenbuterol is a bronchodilator, not approved for use in the US. Abusers of the drug claim that it can reduce fat, as well as enhance muscle. As reported in Swim News, other swimmers tested positive for the drug:
Xiong Guomin (CHN), tested positive for clenbuterol (a Beta-2 agonist) in an out-of-competition test on March 8, 1999, and was banned for two years in 1999. The Chinese Swimming Associated imposed a ban of one year on his coach, Xu Huiqin, who featured in the news broken by SwimNews this week.
Wei Wang (CHN) tested positive for clenbuterol (Beta-2 agonist) in an out-of-competition test on the same day as Xiong Guomin and was banned for two years. The Chinese Swimming Associated imposed a ban of one year on his coach, Cheng Zhi and extended the swimmer's ban to three years.
Ying Shan (CHN) tested positive for clenbuterol in a Chinese Swimming Assoication doping control on January 31, 2002.
Bizarrely, Clen poisoned a number of Chinese who ate meat given clen for anabolic purposes. Hope the drug is cleared from the food supply when Olympians hit Beijing in a few weeks.
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