Triathlon standout Imogen Simmonds expressed immense relief after being cleared of a doping violation despite testing positive for a prohibited substance. The 32-year-old athlete faced suspension by the International Testing Agency (ITA) earlier this year following a positive test result for ligandrol, a banned compound known for promoting muscle growth and enhancing physical performance.
After a thorough investigation, it was determined that Simmonds could resume competing as she was found not guilty of any wrongdoing or negligence in the matter. In a social media post, Simmonds shared her emotional journey, stating that the presence of Ligandrol in her sample was due to inadvertent contamination through intimate contact with her partner who unknowingly used supplements containing the prohibited substance.
The ITA released a statement confirming that no period of ineligibility would be imposed on Simmonds as she bore no fault or negligence for the adverse finding. With the out-of-competition sample collection, there were no competitive results to be disqualified, and the matter was considered resolved by both IRONMAN and the ITA.
While the decision can be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Simmonds is focused on returning to triathlon competition. With an impressive career record of 10 wins, Simmonds ranked seventh in the PTO’s World rankings in 2024 but has since dropped to 124th. Her most recent event was a fourth-place finish at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in New Zealand on December 14 last year.